Raider's Chaos. Current line is BUF -9.5 O/37.5. If Kiffen...

[OCinBuffalo]

I took 8-10, with the O/U going down by 1-9.

 

If Kiffen does get fired, I will be slightly annoyed. I am rapidly growing tired of all of the excuses made for the other team before every game we have played so far, not to mention the giant Pats* excuse already brewing, and this will be another game with a built-in excuse.

[The Guy]

They can make all the excuses they want. All that matters is the W's.

[BuffOrange]

Owner has already tried to make Head Coach resign who tried to fire the Offensive Coordinator. They're in disarray regardless and I wouldn't expect the #'s to change much if at all.

[IDBillzFan]

Interesting comment from Peter King last night: It's not a question of IF, but WHEN Kippen gets fired, at which time he expects the new Raiders head coach to be none other than James Lofton.

[Lori]

Interesting comment from Peter King last night: It's not a question of IF, but WHEN Kippen gets fired, at which time he expects the new Raiders head coach to be none other than James Lofton.

Word is, it's going down today. But while Lofton's a viable candidate, don't be surprised to see defensive coordinator Rob Ryan get the job instead.

 

Here's why: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../SPNM12U2H2.DTL

[The Dean]

If Kiffen gets axed, the line should move, slightly, in Oakland's favor, IMO. It seems play pretty well, the week after a HC gets canned. (I don't have the stats, I'm just going with how it seems to me, in the past.)

 

Also, I thought that 9.5 was too big of a spread to start with.

[Got_Wood]

I don't think we should take this team lightly. They have some weapons out there (D-Mac), and their O-line is looking pretty good. Their defense isn't terrible either. They have one of the better secondaries in the league (if they can put their ego aside and just play).

 

I like our chances against the Raiders, but we need to have a solid game plan and we need to FINISH our tackles in order to win.

[Lv-Bills]

I took 8-10, with the O/U going down by 1-9.

 

If Kiffen does get fired, I will be slightly annoyed. I am rapidly growing tired of all of the excuses made for the other team before every game we have played so far, not to mention the giant Pats* excuse already brewing, and this will be another game with a built-in excuse.

I could care less what excuses they make for every win we get. Seriously, who cares. It's been so damn long since the playoffs. Hell, I hope every team we play gets GOUT and we win em all because of gout. As long as we win em, I don't care how it happens or what the reason is.

[Lori]

If Kiffen gets axed, the line should move, slightly, in Oakland's favor, IMO. It seems play pretty well, the week after a HC gets canned. (I don't have the stats, I'm just going with how it seems to me, in the past.)

 

Also, I thought that 9.5 was too big of a spread to start with.

Given that everyone on the defense is probably ready to kill Kiffin, they'd run through a wall for Ryan if he's the head coach by next Sunday.

[Steely Dan]

I took 8-10, with the O/U going down by 1-9.

 

If Kiffen does get fired, I will be slightly annoyed. I am rapidly growing tired of all of the excuses made for the other team before every game we have played so far, not to mention the giant Pats* excuse already brewing, and this will be another game with a built-in excuse.

 

I agree. I'd like to beat teams that are at full power. However, that really only matters in games where the Bills are playing a team viewed as stronger.

 

 

Interesting comment from Peter King last night: It's not a question of IF, but WHEN Kippen gets fired, at which time he expects the new Raiders head coach to be none other than James Lofton.

 

This is a bad thing because if there is a coaching change then the change in game philosophy will change and a lot of the film on the team will be useless.

 

Linkage

 

 

Even by Raiders standards, it was a bizarre week. When asked about the lack of defensive pressure Wednesday, Kiffin said defensive philosophy was mainly shaped by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and Davis each week, as if it were a matter beyond his control.

 

The club countered by sending Ryan out the next day to refute Kiffin. This never happens anywhere else _ the team setting up a press briefing to counter comments made by the the head coach.

 

Lo and behold, the Raiders team that dominated the Chiefs Sunday blitzed early and often, with the likes of Thomas Howard and Gibril Wilson taking turns storming the backfield.

 

``I thought we set the tempo from the beginning of the game, guys coming in and rattling the quarterback,'' Kiffin said. ``I'm real excited about Rob's game plan this week.''

 

Whether through accident or manipulation, Kiffin got what he wanted, and hasn't let so much as a bead of sweat form on his brow over what still may be to come.

 

Call it confidence, as his supporters do. Call it arrogance, as many in the building do. Whatever you call it, the consistent thing about Kiffin is that on many levels he doesn't care what his critics think, whether inside the building, in the media or in the vast Raider Nation.

 

_________________________________________

 

Kiffin will run the ball as often as possible to keep the game out of the hands of JaMarcus Russell until the quarterback has enough experience and good receivers take over. He doesn't care if you think it is stunting Russell's growth.

 

IMO, that helps Russell's growth. It's a common tactic IIRC in dealing with young QB's. Russell hasn't shown enough to be given more responsibility. It seems to me that Davis made a stupid draft pick and Kiffin is getting the blame for it.

[Steely Dan]

Linkage

 

Team officials said Kiffin will be at his press conference today at 2 p.m., which he does every Monday after a game. Beyond that, they were noncommittal -- which speaks volumes of how fluid the situation remains.

 

It's a little after 2pm west coast time.