Raiders Cut the Cable, Bengals Commit to Proven Loser

The Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals continued their respective commitments to mediocrity this week with regard to their head coaching situations.

Tom Cable led the hapless Raiders to their first .500 season since 2002, while Marvin Lewis helped to tank a talented Bengals team that was expected to challenge in the postseason.  Guess which one received a contract extension and which one was let go.

Marvin Lewis was given a contract extension on the heels of a 4-12 2010 season – dead last in the NFC North.  A Mangini-led Browns squad quarterbacked by Jake Delhomme et al finished one win better than a solid team led by the talented likes of Carson Palmer, Ochocinco, and TO.

Marvin Lewis has coached the Bengals to a 60-67 regular season record in his eight years at the helm and has not recorded a single playoff win.  The Bengals have consistently led the league in arrests during Lewis’ tenure, previously a trait of Oakland teams.

Tom Cable, on the other hand, has turned around a perennially mediocre Raiders franchise.  The Raiders ran through Bruce Gradkowski (66.3 rtg.) and Kyle Boller (30.2 rtg.) at quarterback before Jason Campbell separated himself as the tallest midget of the bunch with an 84.5 QB rating, good for 18^th best in the NFL.

Campbell’s stats are more impressive considering that Louis Murphy led Raiders wide receivers with 41 receptions, 609 yards, and 2 touchdowns.  The Two leading Oakland receivers were tight end Zach Miller (60rec/685yds/5td) and legit doomsday weapon running back Darren McFadden (47rec/507yds/3td).  The entire roster of Raiders wideouts only accounted for 107 receptions, 1601 yards, and 5 touchdowns.

This can hardly be equated to the antiquated Go Vertical attitude held so dear by Hall of Fame owner Al Davis, but does not appear to be the reason for Tom Cable’s release.  Cable, whose contract expired at the end of the 2010 season, was not granted his potential two-year, five million dollar contract extension through 2012.  Quick and lazy research puts the salary of the average NFL coach at $3.25 million.

I freely admit to being a Tom Cable apologist, but re-signing an 8-8 (although 17-27 overall) coach to less than the league average makes sense.  At the very least, it makes more sense than Cincinnati extending a perennial loser for an undisclosed amount.