Congratulations Mr. Davis...Or Was It a Coach's Rebellion?

Congratulations Mr. Al Davis

            After weeks, months, and years of bashing Al Davis, I feel it is time the fans and media congratulate the man for finally allowing his coaches to coach. Almost on a daily basis, people say, yell, and proclaim that Davis is the worst owner in the NFL. Davis is not the worst owner in the NFL, but he is being blinded by his love and passion for the Raiders. Let it be said that an argument can be made to name Daniel Snyder and the Ford family as the worst owners in the NFL, but who’s judging.

            Davis is guilty of exhibiting stalker-like behaviors. The man becomes obsessed with running and controlling the football team which he helped create. The man is stubborn and determined to get love from someone or something that he is no longer compatible with. Week in and week out, he is involved with the development and implementation of the weekly game plan. Week in and week out, we’ve seen the game plan lack creativity and surprise; thus, resulting in a horrible flop, and a seventh straight year of futility. 

            Sunday’s game was the exception. Sunday’s game was proof that Mr. Davis, though not the worst owner in the league, is the worst coach in the league. Sunday was proof that when you delegate power and allow the people who work under you to actually work, you get results. Sunday, for once, Al Davis football was shelved for large portions of the game.

            Now, this writer realizes that Oakland is still a long ways off from what the Raider Nation wants. In fact, though Sunday’s win over Philadelphia signaled a change in a number of things (like the end of a three-game skid, a possible turning point in the season, and the coaching staff’s realization that they can softly question the owner/coach); there were still a lot of things that needed to be addressed.

            Number one: the offense needs to put more points on the board. 13 points is not always going to be enough. There should have been about 14 to 18 more points on the board for Oakland in this game. Seven coming on the phantom Pass Interference call against Stanford Routt (who, by the way, played the game of his life Sunday) and seven more on the 4^th and 1 genius play call which sprung Louis Murphy for what should have been a touchdown. Of course, who prevented Murphy from scoring: (surprise, surprise) JaMarcus Russell and his accuracy of a starving hunter.

            Number two: the special teams play needs to improve. The Raiders won’t be able to compete when their kick returners can’t get the ball past the 20-yard line. Yes, the change in the special teams coach has hurt, but you move past it and play the game. The players are still the same, so there is no excuse for not being more explosive on kick returns.

            What to say about the defense? This is a team that played inspired, passionate football. A weekly performance like the one exhibited Sunday and on the Monday Night opener against the Chargers will take this team places. There were six sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown that shouldn’t have been called back, and a number of crushing blows that pumped up the Raider faithful. More importantly, there were signs of life and creativity with the game plan, all lacking Davis’ fingerprints. There were blitzes, stunts, and zone defenses. There was some man to man coverage, but there was so much Oakland’s defense did differently, that it had the Eagles offense reeling all game long.

Kudos to Tom Cable for finally scrapping the vertical attack, working with the offensive line, and calling a decent game. The short passing routes and the commitment to one running back really set the tempo. Justin Fargas ran the way a running back is supposed to run, and though this writer will admit Fargas isn’t his favorite back, he must also admit that Fargas earned a great deal of respect following Sunday’s performance.

Once again, congratulations Al Davis for loosening your death grip on a very capable team. Sunday’s total team effort showed what this team is capable of. Thank you Mr. Davis for trusting your defensive coordinator to implement the game plan. Thank you Mr. Davis for allowing your coaches to coach and your players play. And if that's not the case, then congratulations coaches for finally daring to do your job. If Davis insists on doing things his ways, throw the old man in the convalescent home and do what you do.