I like Tom Cable.
I admit it. I like him not just as a guy, but as a coach, and a head coach at that. Some people might not agree, and they might have good cause.
Early on it appeared to me that Cable probably wasn’t going to be the man for the Oakland Raiders' full-time head coaching job, and I said so at the time.
But there are a number of reasons why Cable might be the best fit for Oakland.
I’m not going to list the fact that there will be few applicants for the job. That would be giving the post to Cable by default, and that isn’t what this article is about.
But one reason in Cable's favor is that he's an Al Davis guy, just like John Madden was, and just like Tom Flores was.
This is Al’s team. It always has been and it always will be. While he is alive, nobody but Al is going to get total control of this franchise. But for those smarter and less ego-obsessed coaches, Al is a help, not a hindrance.
Al Davis has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know. His vast store of knowledge can still be extremely useful to a coach who is willing to work with Al and not just want everything his own way. For a coach who is willing to work with Al, Mr. Davis will move heaven and Earth to get that coach what he needs to win.
Tom Cable is a guy who certainly fits the bill here.
Secondly, he is a team player.
How many people would want to take a job coaching the Oakland Raiders, halfway through the season, with a losing record? The answer is no one at all. Tom Cable took it because Al asked him to, and because the team needed him to.
He had no time to prepare in the preseason for how he wanted the team to play, to do the things that would put his stamp on the job. He was asked to step in, and he did. He didn’t even get a raise.
That takes some guts.
But the biggest reason to like Cable for the head coaching job, to me, is that this is a guy who isn’t afraid to do what is necessary to win. Not only is he prepared to make bold personnel moves such as cutting DeAngelo Hall, but he will take calculated risks to win games.
If you are never prepared to take those risks, and attempt the things that will win the game for you, then you just lose, albeit a little more slowly.
The play of the defense since Hall was cut has been excellent. Yes, the team is weak against the run at times, but you measure a defense by how many points, not yards, it concedes. This defense hasn’t conceded more than 20 points over the last four games. Considering the scoring drought the offense has had, that is a good performance.
As for taking risks to win games, it is easy to point to the fake field goal that cost Oakland the game against Kansas City, but conceding a touchdown on that play was something no one could predict.
With other plays, Cable has been a big winner.
The fake punt against the Jets and the 57-yard field goal in overtime to win the game are two examples. The safe bet would have been to punt, not to ask Seabass to make a career long kick to win the game.
But it paid off.
There was also the halfback pass from Michael Bush to Zach Miller on that third down against Denver, and the lateral from Ronald Curry to Darren McFadden against the Chiefs. Those show imagination, a willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done, and to take those calculated risks necessary to win.
Tom Cable is working with Davis, with Rob Ryan, and with the players.
So let's give him some weapons on offense, some continuity, and a decent contract, and see where we end up at the end of next season.
We might be in for a pleasant surprise.
19 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Anthony Elias 7 months ago
perhaps. i'm excited to see what we can do.
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Michael Nevin 7 months ago
Good article. I hope Cable can be our guy because we certainly need someone. I liked Lane Kiffin, too.
He has taken more risks and that has paid off for the Raiders sometimes. But, don't forget that he cost us the game against KC with his fake field goal.
I'm just curious to see if Davis will keep Cable.
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Greg Peterson 7 months ago
Well written. The thing Madden and Flores and even Gruden had that no coach since him has had is a functional GM. Not necessarily a true GM like in other franchises but someone in the front office who balanced out Al Davis. Until that role is filled I don't think it will matter who the coach is, this franchise is doomed.
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Charles Massie 7 months ago
Cable isnt the answer. He can go back to being the O-line coach, but the Raiders need an experienced heac coach who knows how to call plays during certain game situations. There have been bad play calling all season long, even with Kiffin and Knapp calling plays. The Raiders coach needs to be a motivator. I believe Kiffin was a motivator, just not experienced enough to handle the Raiders headcoaching position. Gruden was a great motivator. I dont know about Madden and Flores, but those guys coached their team appropriately through great game planning and preperation. They believed in the Raiders moto.. Just Win, and Commitment to Excellence... These last few coaches were acting as if they were just working on a job just to get a paycheck...I watched Art Shell during his second stint as a coach, he did absolutely nothing on the sidelines. I knew his heart wasnt in it. He coached as if he was just doing Al Davis a favor.
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Charles Massie 7 months ago
Cable isnt the answer. He can go back to being the O-line coach, but the Raiders need an experienced head coach who knows how to call plays during certain game situations. There have been bad play calling all season long, even with Kiffin and Knapp calling plays. The Raiders coach needs to be a motivator. I believe Kiffin was a motivator, just not experienced enough to handle the Raiders headcoaching position. Gruden was a great motivator. I dont know about Madden and Flores, but those guys coached their team appropriately through great game planning and preperation. They believed in the Raiders moto.. Just Win, and Commitment to Excellence... These last few coaches were acting as if they were just working on a job just to get a paycheck...I watched Art Shell during his second stint as a coach, he did absolutely nothing on the sidelines. I knew his heart wasnt in it. He coached as if he was just doing Al Davis a favor.
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Charles Massie 7 months ago
Cable isnt the answer. He can go back to being the O-line coach, but the Raiders need an experienced head coach who knows how to call plays during certain game situations. There have been bad play calling all season long, even with Kiffin and Knapp calling plays. The Raiders coach needs to be a motivator. I believe Kiffin was a motivator, just not experienced enough to handle the Raiders headcoaching position. Gruden was a great motivator. I dont know about Madden and Flores, but those guys coached their team appropriately through great game planning and preperation. They believed in the Raiders moto.. Just Win, and Commitment to Excellence... These last few coaches were acting as if they were just working on a job just to get a paycheck...I watched Art Shell during his second stint as a coach, he did absolutely nothing on the sidelines. I knew his heart wasnt in it. He coached as if he was just doing Al Davis a favor.
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Charles Massie 7 months ago
Cable isnt the answer. He can go back to being the O-line coach, but the Raiders need an experienced head coach who knows how to call plays during certain game situations. There have been bad play calling all season long, even with Kiffin and Knapp calling plays. The Raiders coach needs to be a motivator. I believe Kiffin was a motivator, just not experienced enough to handle the Raiders headcoaching position. Gruden was a great motivator. I dont know about Madden and Flores, but those guys coached their team appropriately through great game planning and preperation. They believed in the Raiders moto.. Just Win, and Commitment to Excellence... These last few coaches were acting as if they were just working on a job just to get a paycheck...I watched Art Shell during his second stint as a coach, he did absolutely nothing on the sidelines. I knew his heart wasnt in it. He coached as if he was just doing Al Davis a favor.
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MG 7 months ago
Did anyone see the JR fumble in the 1st Q? Tuck rule, no?!
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Bluto 7 months ago
Reading this thread now is even more funny.
Cable is so completely out of his league. Has no clue, no chance, no direction.
Nothing like a complete annihilation on national tv to put a definitive stamp on that laughingstock of the NFL tag the Raiders so deserve.
Yes, lol, was that the sorriest showing you've seen..maybe EVER?
Was almost like torture for the announcers to even try and explain it.
Yes, it's true. There are some high school teams that play better than that sorry group from that pit called Oakland.
Congrats Raider fans. You're the worst of the worst, again.
Still
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Babbalooey 7 months ago
You're right. Players did quit. You could see it. From McFadden's disgusted look and wave of the hand, as if to say "I give up on you" to Walter returning the same, after the overthrow on 4th down, to players on the sideline totally disinterested in the game, to players at midfield after the game, laughing and hyuking it up with Charger players, as if it was a group of buddies meeting up at a bar.
Players were hohum, oh well.
Is there any team in any sport in any country who has as many players who want out as the group in Oakland?
Highly doubtful.
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David Wilson 7 months ago
Okay then, I guess that has generated some discussion........LOL.
My point for Cable is this. He didn't pick this personnel, he didn't draft it, it isn't his team, it isn't even his play book. The guy is just trying to the best he can in enormously difficult circumstances, under which it is tough to judge a guy.
I said before the draft that we needed linemen not McFadden, but Cable is stuck with what he was given.
As for the defense, they have had some breakdowns, mostly when Hall was there, but have played some standup games too (Denver, Carolina, Miami, NY Jets, Kansas x2) and kept us in games.
If you feel bad about the Sd loss last night, so do I, I am gutted. I stayed up till 4.15am to watch it (thats what time it is on in England), and I was just embarassed. But like all true Raider fans, I'm trying to find a nutmeg of consolation in this team, and trying to put some kind of positive spin on our once proud franchise.
I have met Tom Cable, I like the guy, and I just don't think you can judge him on the situation he is in right now. Can anyone show me another candidate?
As for Rubble's comments, perhaps his carer can replace his dummy and shut him up. Having said that, you have to give it to him for sheer entertainment value, if not for a bright and incisive mind.
Dave Wilson
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Joe Parks 7 months ago
You make a very good point with regards to Al Davis' input. While I am in the minority in my opinion that the "Al is calling all the plays and the head coach is little more than a ventriloquist dummy standing on the sideline" take is by and large, a myth it is commonly accepted as being fact. Davis is very hands on and, as stated, can be a big help with his vast trove of football knowledge. But he's not calling plays.You are right that the right coach could take advantage of that knowledge and input and thrive in Oakland and be successful. Unfortunately you hit on the crux of that problem. I don't know that that coach exists in today's NFL. What I see are nothing but the go-obsessed coaches you refrerred to. Not to take away from the coaching talent itself. But, we are living in what I call the "Post-Parcells" era. That is to say that almost every head coach today demands total authority and autonomy from the team owner to make ALL personnel decisions, all coaching staff hires, all draft moves. Pretty much all coaches want that "slash". You know, Head Coach/General Manager. Including Kiffin. The Tuna was successful everywhere he went running the entire team with zero input from an owner, I can do it too! Is why I say post Parcells. But most can't handle it. So you find few willing to just be a coach, so that is why few want to work for Al. He does need a GM, I agree. But the HC doesn't need total autonomy and authority in order to succeed in the NFL.Teams were successful fo years befre the HC/GM deal reared it's head. But they all demand it now. Cable is willing to work with Davis, I just dont know if he is NFL HC material in the other aspects. He would certainly need a new QB coach an OC.
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Anthony King 7 months ago
Do you seriously think HE himself cut DeAngelo Hall? Please, he probably found out about it when everyone else did. That was Davis and Davis only. There is no way Cable suggested or cut Hall himself. I'm a diehard Raiderfan, but I'm also realistic in the idea that it is Davis' show. I just wish he would have cut more players. I'm also sick of hearing about all this vast amount of knowledge the man has. Then why not play zone defense, run the occaisional trick play(other than the done to death reverse) and drop your quarterback into shotgun formation more. Yeah, yeah, that's not the proud Raider way. We have to do it Al's way. Unfortunately, players and fans suffer. Note to Al: you don't have to pay a kajillion dollars to find wide receivers or any other players. Just find us some guys with passion and heart(those usually paid less) because right now only a very few, very, very few on this team have it.
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ASD ASD 7 months ago
Russell has done nothing to say he should be the face of this team....well maybe he has...overthrowing
..underthrowing...no urgency...no leadership.....this team needs gutted top to bottom.
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Jeff Gray 7 months ago
It doesn't matter who the next coach is of this team. You can bring any great coach you can think of and it wouldn't matter, and there's only one reason for that, and we all know in the Raider Nation what that reason is, it's AL DAVIS!!!! Until he get's the hell out of the way, hires a GM to make football decisions and allows that GM to hire the coach of his choice, this thing will not change. But, we all know that's not going to happen, so we just have to continue to suffer with the crap like last night.
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Castor Troy 7 months ago
You give Mcfadden only one carry in the game? This why I hate Cable.
Tom Cable sucks. And I agree with BarneyRubble.
Why is everybody so damn sensitive? If you post a pathetic article, you are going to get bashed. Plain and simple. GET OVER IT.
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Joe Lang 7 months ago
bla
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David Wilson 7 months ago
Blah blah blah, from people if you saw them in the street would stare at their shoes and pretend they hadn't said a word. (But they like to be brave on the net)
Thats ok Rubble & co, I'm used to abuse, I've been married (twice....oooh....ouch).
You feel better having a rant at other Raider fans, you knock yourself out.
I'll save my venom for the Broncos and the Chargers.
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John Cordova 6 months ago
I like Cable but the Raiders need to go in a different direction. I'm a die heart Raider fan and I, like all Raider fans have seen this before. I worry when I hear about players voicing their opinion to keep a coach who's about to be fired. That just hasn't worked out for the Raider organization (please don't make me write up a list of coaches) If Al wants to see another Supper Bowl ring before he meets his maker, he needs to spend top $$$$ for a proven and successful GM and a disciplinarian type coach, Al needs to set aside his pride and let the best in the business take over. I can tell you from experience and probably most working americans, I have accomplished more at work by a manager or supervisor who demands perfection and hard work. My human nature doesn't like it and I would rather have an easy going, understanding, soft spoken, compassionate type manager. But truth be told, more gets accomplished by a disciplinarian. Players today need discipline, guidance and direction like a good parent does for their child!
Raider Duke
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