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Kiffin fights to motivate team
Fans fired up - Sunday's game officially sold out ---
(12-28) 22:05 PST -- The Raiders have officially sold out Sunday's season finale against the Chargers, which means the game will be televised locally for the sixth time in eight home games.
Raiders coach Lane Kiffin needs to rally the 4-11 troops for one more game. He admits it hasn't been easy, particularly after they got thoroughly whipped by the Jaguars 49-11 on Sunday.
"I think it's a very difficult thing in this league to keep a team when you have not won many games," Kiffin said. "It's a daily battle. We'll continue to try to keep them motivated."
To do that, Kiffin has landed upon a theme of the season's final week: second-chance sweep. Beat the Chargers at a sold-out Coliseum, and the Raiders will finish 3-0 in the second round of AFC West games.
It looks and smells like something straight out of the moral-victory department, but there really is something to it. At midseason, the Raiders had lost a team-record 17 consecutive divisional games before beating the Chiefs and Broncos in rematches.
At least some players are buying in. If nothing else, it gives them something to play for at the end of a fifth-straight season with 11 or more losses.
"I wouldn't say salvage the season because we went through so much and we only won four games," strong safety Michael Huff said. "But we can definitely go out there and play well and sweep the second half of the (division). So, that's something we can look forward to."
Kiffin has talked about winning rematches all season. At USC, there were no second games in conference play.
The first-year NFL coach gets a huge kick out of studying what opposing teams did the first time around, then getting a chance to make the appropriate adjustments.
Armed with hindsight, the Raiders ended a franchise-record nine-game losing streak to the Chiefs, 20-17, Nov. 25 at Arrowhead Stadium. They beat the Broncos the next week, 34-20, for the first time since 2004.
"To sweep the division the second time around would be really good for our guys," Kiffin said. "Especially for an organization which has not had that much success. That would be a step in the right direction."
Beating the Chargers (10-5) would be a momentous way to enter the offseason. They've clinched a second straight AFC West title and are playing for the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, which means they'll probably have the first team out as long as needed.
A victory would also serve as mouthwash to last week's 49-11 loss at Jacksonville, the third-most lopsided in franchise regular-season history. It wouldn't help their draft status - the Raiders sit in sixth - but in times like this, momentum trumps slot position for those not drafting in the top three.
"We've been too up and down," Kiffin said. "Our goal is to play really well and play the style of football that we want to play ... and kind of get us going in the right direction for next year."
Turner impressed: Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell was the No. 3 quarterback when the Chargers beat the Raiders 28-14 on Oct. 14. Chargers coach Norv Turner liked what he saw of Russell, who will make his first start Sunday.
"He went through an extensive workout before the game and I got a chance to watch him really for the first time in person," Turner said. "I was just kind of blown away, impressed with his physical ability, his ability to throw a football, his accuracy.
"He's going to be an outstanding player and he's going to go through what all young guys go through."
Kiffin weighs in: When Warren Sapp drew three unsportsmanlike conducts in Sunday's game, everyone knew he'd be fined because that's an automatic when players get ejected.
Derrick Burgess' $25,000 fine for his one unsportsmanlike conduct was less expected.
"Yeah, I was surprised, first of all, with Derrick's because those penalties happen," Kiffin said. "People get penalties and usually the fine doesn't come, but I wasn't exactly there. I don't have the referee's story exactly what happened, so it's hard for me to comment on it."
Sapp was fined $75,000 after getting tossed for bumping an official.
Briefly: Running back Dominic Rhodes will make his second straight start, with LaMont Jordan as his backup. Kiffin pointed out a missed block that resulted in a sack when asked why Jordan didn't play more against the Jaguars. ... The Chargers signed Dave Rayner to handle kickoffs for ailing place kicker Nate Kaeding, and veteran left tackle Roman Oben was waived. ... Coaches' wives will help collect canned food before the game to benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank. ... The Raiders have sold out six of eight home games for the second straight year, though some tickets remain available because of returns from the Chargers.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/29/SP4FU6D5M.DTL
Fans fired up - Sunday's game officially sold out ---
(12-28) 22:05 PST -- The Raiders have officially sold out Sunday's season finale against the Chargers, which means the game will be televised locally for the sixth time in eight home games.
Raiders coach Lane Kiffin needs to rally the 4-11 troops for one more game. He admits it hasn't been easy, particularly after they got thoroughly whipped by the Jaguars 49-11 on Sunday.
"I think it's a very difficult thing in this league to keep a team when you have not won many games," Kiffin said. "It's a daily battle. We'll continue to try to keep them motivated."
To do that, Kiffin has landed upon a theme of the season's final week: second-chance sweep. Beat the Chargers at a sold-out Coliseum, and the Raiders will finish 3-0 in the second round of AFC West games.
It looks and smells like something straight out of the moral-victory department, but there really is something to it. At midseason, the Raiders had lost a team-record 17 consecutive divisional games before beating the Chiefs and Broncos in rematches.
At least some players are buying in. If nothing else, it gives them something to play for at the end of a fifth-straight season with 11 or more losses.
"I wouldn't say salvage the season because we went through so much and we only won four games," strong safety Michael Huff said. "But we can definitely go out there and play well and sweep the second half of the (division). So, that's something we can look forward to."
Kiffin has talked about winning rematches all season. At USC, there were no second games in conference play.
The first-year NFL coach gets a huge kick out of studying what opposing teams did the first time around, then getting a chance to make the appropriate adjustments.
Armed with hindsight, the Raiders ended a franchise-record nine-game losing streak to the Chiefs, 20-17, Nov. 25 at Arrowhead Stadium. They beat the Broncos the next week, 34-20, for the first time since 2004.
"To sweep the division the second time around would be really good for our guys," Kiffin said. "Especially for an organization which has not had that much success. That would be a step in the right direction."
Beating the Chargers (10-5) would be a momentous way to enter the offseason. They've clinched a second straight AFC West title and are playing for the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, which means they'll probably have the first team out as long as needed.
A victory would also serve as mouthwash to last week's 49-11 loss at Jacksonville, the third-most lopsided in franchise regular-season history. It wouldn't help their draft status - the Raiders sit in sixth - but in times like this, momentum trumps slot position for those not drafting in the top three.
"We've been too up and down," Kiffin said. "Our goal is to play really well and play the style of football that we want to play ... and kind of get us going in the right direction for next year."
Turner impressed: Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell was the No. 3 quarterback when the Chargers beat the Raiders 28-14 on Oct. 14. Chargers coach Norv Turner liked what he saw of Russell, who will make his first start Sunday.
"He went through an extensive workout before the game and I got a chance to watch him really for the first time in person," Turner said. "I was just kind of blown away, impressed with his physical ability, his ability to throw a football, his accuracy.
"He's going to be an outstanding player and he's going to go through what all young guys go through."
Kiffin weighs in: When Warren Sapp drew three unsportsmanlike conducts in Sunday's game, everyone knew he'd be fined because that's an automatic when players get ejected.
Derrick Burgess' $25,000 fine for his one unsportsmanlike conduct was less expected.
"Yeah, I was surprised, first of all, with Derrick's because those penalties happen," Kiffin said. "People get penalties and usually the fine doesn't come, but I wasn't exactly there. I don't have the referee's story exactly what happened, so it's hard for me to comment on it."
Sapp was fined $75,000 after getting tossed for bumping an official.
Briefly: Running back Dominic Rhodes will make his second straight start, with LaMont Jordan as his backup. Kiffin pointed out a missed block that resulted in a sack when asked why Jordan didn't play more against the Jaguars. ... The Chargers signed Dave Rayner to handle kickoffs for ailing place kicker Nate Kaeding, and veteran left tackle Roman Oben was waived. ... Coaches' wives will help collect canned food before the game to benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank. ... The Raiders have sold out six of eight home games for the second straight year, though some tickets remain available because of returns from the Chargers.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/29/SP4FU6D5M.DTL