I suppose it's possible that Lane Kiffin, entering his second year as the Raiders head coach, could be under even more pressure to turn things around in Oakland. Although, I'm not sure it much matters; owner Al Davis has allegedly tried to can Kiffin, even before lavishly spending on free agents this off-season.
Still, the $180 million Davis dropped on new contracts means one thing for Kiffin, at least according to the San Francisco Chronicle's David White:
All the more demand for him to produce an instant winner in his second season, if only because no coach this side of Jon Gruden has gotten a third-year chance in Oakland.Since Oakland faced Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl in 2002, they've gone through Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Art Shell. And Kiffin's name would've been added to the list if he didn't stubbornly refuse to resign earlier this off-season.
Regardless, he understands that barring a Patriots-like run, his job is ultimately temporary:
"I'm sure that's the way it will be," Kiffin said of his fall-guy potential in a brutally honest interview at this week's NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.To Kiffin's credit, there's seemed to be a shift away from the "culture of losing" mentality instilled during those heady Turner/Shell days, and more emphasis placed on actually trying to win. The record might not have indicated it, but it's a start. I'm guessing Davis (and the fans) are looking for something more than "a start." Particularly at $180 million.
"You create high expectations by adding these players. In classic Raider fashion, four of the guys added are former No. 1 picks, and with that, you're increasing what is expected of the coach and what's expected of the team.
"So, it's my job to figure out how to put them all together and get them to win."
