Oakland Raiders: Why Firing Hue Jackson Was a Terrible Decision

It was reported on Tuesday afternoon, by none other than ESPN's Adam Schefter of course, that Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson was relieved of his coaching duties. The Oakland Raiders finished this past season 8-8, losing their final game to the San Diego Chargers and thereby, missing the playoffs. 

This firing, while not justified, should come as no surprise to anyone. The Raiders have long been one of the most fickle and impatient franchises in the NFL, and the question must now be asked: is all this volatility keeping their franchise from success?

Obviously, the goal of any NFL franchise is to reach the postseason and make a Super Bowl run. But as with all things in life, (besides maybe, the lottery) success does not come overnight and it rarely comes without hard work. Also crucial to success in sports is familiarity, and the only way that players and coaches alike can become familiar with one another is through time. The Raiders management have time and time again interrupted this cycle.

Since Bill Callahan coached the Raiders to a Super Bowl in 2002, which they ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, five men have held the title as head coach of the Oakland Raiders: Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and lastly, Hue Jackson.

To extend the point even further, since Art Shell's first tenure as Raiders' head coach ended in 1994 and the team moved back to Oakland, nine men have coached the Raiders. That's good for most in the NFL, and the only coach of those nine to leave Oakland with a winning record was Jon Gruden, who went 38-26. Even Callahan only had a 15-17 career record in Oakland.

Now, I am not whole-heartedly defending Jackson. The Raiders had major problems in terms of discipline this season; they collected the most penalties in NFL league history. This lack of instruction has to fall solely on the head coach. Jackson also had moments this season where he blamed his players, and not himself, for their weak play. This too is a poor and immature coaching move. 

Perpendicularly, Jackson dealt with adversity this season. Quarterback Jason Campbell, who was playing well for the Raiders, went down with a season-ending injury. The Raiders then made the move to acquire Carson Palmer, who was employed by no one before the trade, and this turned out to be a disaster.

Palmer threw 13 touchdowns in 10 games while racking up 16 interceptions. He failed to become a team leader, and the veteran never seemed to develop any comfort with the Raiders' young-yet-talented wide receivers. To add insult to injury, star running back Darren McFadden fought injury after starting the season off amazingly strong.

Simply put, the Raiders are frustrated, and rightfully so. They want to win, and all they have done in recent years is lose.

Their situation is a bit like a healing wound, however, and the Raiders are acting like antsy third-graders. Every time a scab appears to be forming, and new skin appears to be growing, the Raiders' back office rips off the scab and re-irritates the wound.

8-8 is no season to throw a party over, but it's far from a disaster. Now the Raiders are back at square one, a place they and their fans are all too familiar with.