Imagine the Raiders' season if Al Davis had lived
By. Vittorio Tafur
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Hue Jackson says late owner Al Davis "will always be with him," and the Raiders coach said he reminded players throughout the season that Davis believed in them.
After the win over the Chiefs two weeks ago, he told reporters that Davis had told him in his final days, "Hue, we'll win it in the end."
That end, obviously, was not this season as Oakland lost at home to San Diego on Sunday and sits all square at 8-8 for the second straight year.
A couple days before Davis died on Oct. 8, Jackson said the owner told him he was doing a good job. But what would Davis think of what transpired after that 2-2 start?
Better yet, what would have happened to the Raiders this season if Davis had not died?
The biggest difference is there would have been no Carson Palmer trade. People around the league who knew Davis well agree that there is no way he would have given up a first-round pick in 2012 and a second-round pick in 2013 for a 31-year-old semi-retired quarterback.
Davis valued high draft picks too much. (Never mind that the second-rounder in 2013 becomes a first-rounder if Oakland makes the AFC Championship Game next season.)
So who would have played quarterback after Jason Campbell got hurt in Week 6? The Raiders probably would have brought back Trent Edwards as a backup to Kyle Boller, and Davis would have asked Jackson the question that has been in the back of the minds of some players and fans all season ...
Why did you go with Boller as your backup quarterback out of training camp when it is obvious you had no faith in him? For all the talk of "next man up," Jackson was practically saying "anybody but him" when Campbell got hurt.
And we're not saying it was a bad trade. Palmer showed his arm is just fine and Jackson said correctly Monday that the Raiders would not have been playing for the playoffs Sunday if not for the trade. Palmer was 4-5 as a starter, and I think it's safe to say that goes down to 2-7 with Boller or Edwards.
So, that's two more losses this season if Davis is still around, but we're not done yet.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan started using a lot more blitzes and zone coverages after Davis, a strict man-to-man guy, died. The blitzes worked well early in wins over Houston and Cleveland, but the zone coverages fell apart late in the season.
The image of 255-pound middle linebacker Rolando McClain covering Lions All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson 40 yards downfield late in the fourth quarter might be on the cover of the Raiders 2012 yearbook.
Bresnahan is going to get fired, as all defensive coordinators do after a team gives up 433 points, and he would have already gotten fired if Davis were still alive. But ... with Davis' 2 a.m. phone calls reminding Bresnahan to stick with man-to-man (and Davis signing more cornerbacks and not letting Jackson go with four tight ends on the active roster), I have the Raiders beating the Lions in Week 15.
So that's a record of 7-9 instead of 8-8, no Carson Palmer but two more draft picks and no post-game ripping of the players after Sunday's loss. That was a big no-no with Davis.
What does it all mean? Well, Jackson won't be fired after his 8-8 season as Tom Cable was last season. And while Jackson will still quote Davis and think of his boss every day, his fate and future employment with the Raiders beyond next season is now tied to another man. One Carson Palmer.
The now 32-year-old Palmer showed flashes but also finished with more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (13). He needs offseason work to develop timing and chemistry with his receivers - especially Jacoby Ford, who seemed to stop short on a route that resulted in an interception and a glare Sunday - and come back better next season.
"I think that Carson needs a strong offseason, with his teammates, with the players, training camp," Jackson said. "And then let's see what he can be then. Am I tied to him? Well, I made the decision, so I guess I am."
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