When your team has scored 16 points in its previous three games, I suppose you have to do something different to light a fire under your players. And that's exactly what Oakland head coach Tom Cable has done, as he's stripped offensive coordinator Greg Knapp of his play calling duties. Well, that's certainly something, but how much it will help remains to be seen. I believe this is where you can insert some comment about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
From Steve Corkran of the Oakland Tribune (via MDS at PFT):
Knapp was stripped of his play-calling responsibility last week and told that he won't be used in that capacity for the rest of the season, a person in the front office said Monday. Raiders coach Tom Cable presumably is in charge of the play-calling. However, he made no mention of the switch at any point last week, after Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers or in his weekly news conference Monday.The Raiders offense has been on a quest to set new standards in futility every week, and Cable will be, supposedly, the third different coach to call plays this season, joining Knapp and Lane Kiffin. That's probably two more than any team wishes to have in a given season.
Still, when you're dealing with what might be the worst Raiders team in history, which also happens to have the highest payroll in the NFL, there's not many things you can do. Except rearrange the deck chairs, of course.
Jim Harbaugh better think long and hard before he throws his name into this circus.
