Nothing is ever certain when it comes to Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.
Case in point: Coach Tom Cable has received deserved kudos for his work in turning the Raiders from perennial double-digit losers to one game below .500 this season, but his future remains undecided.
Why? Because first-year offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is credited with much of the team’s success, and it’s been speculated that he might be the target of NFL clubs interested in finding someone to infuse their teams with new life.
Cable has a one-year, $2.5-million option on his contract that is set to expire Jan. 18, according to the Contra Costa Times. Like last year, it’s possible Davis will make Cable wait before ultimately deciding whether to keep him or perhaps hand the team over to Jackson.
Under Jackson, the Raiders have scored 200 more points than they did last season and rank 10th in the league in yards per game (355.5). If they beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, it would give the Raiders an 8-8 record and assure them of their first non-losing season since the 2002 team (11-5) that went to the Super Bowl.
Jackson, who’s already been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Denver Broncos head coaching job, doesn’t hide his desire to run a team.
Earlier this month, he said, “I would say if someone calls, I'm not going to tell you I'm going to say no because it all depends on what the situation is. But I'm not going to tell you that I'm going to say yes, either, because I've really enjoyed my time here and what's happening here with Oakland Raider football.”
As usual, it’s all in Davis’ hands. A victory in their season finale would mean a .500 record and a 6-0 mark in the division. Sounds like Cable is the right man for the job.
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