BALTIMORE - I understand head coaches have a tough job to do and they need to put a positive spin on things.
But there's still something weird about hearing Tom Cable say the Raiders are a "good" team after watching them dominated, 29-10, by the Baltimore Ravens.
"This is a good football team," Cable said. "I've said it, I'll continue to say it, I see them every day, so I have great, great belief in them. But somehow I've got to get them to believe that, somehow get them to accept that that's who they are, rather than say, 'Well, something's wrong. If it doesn't start out right, oh, here we go again.' You've got to phase that mentality out of this football team, and we'll do that. We'll do that before too much longer here. I know we're on the right track. So, it's just a matter of getting over the hump with that and really having a real belief in ourselves and each other."
The Raiders continue to do things that would make it hard for them to believe they are good.
After all, a 2-5 record this season and the worst record in the NFL since 2003 makes it hard to believe otherwise.
Cable is now 1-2 since taking over for Lane Kiffin. He's run into the same problems that dogged Kiffin.
*The offense is inconsistent and the defense cannot stop the run. The Ravens ran for 192 yards a week after the New York Jets hit the Raiders for 242 rushing yards.
*The team still has only one first-half touchdown this seasons.
There's usually at least one dumbfounding play a game. This week's award goes to Johnnie Lee Higgins, who caught a kickoff that might have gone through the end zone or out of bounds and ran out at his own two-yard line.
Cable had no idea why Higgins did that.
"None whatsoever," Cable said.
There's a lot of work to do, coach.
--Jason Jones
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