When we were scouring the internet trying to set our fantasy football lineups (Anquan Boldin and Green Bay Defense FTW, thankyouverymuch), we found out that the San Jose Mercury News was reporting that Oakland Raiders overseer Al Davis was thisclose to firing his 33-year-old second year coach Lane Kiffin. Why? Well, let’s just say they don’t get along very well. Anyone who knows how the Raiders work understands that the person who rules the roost is Davis, and Kiffin—who left USC to become an NFL head coach last year—was trying to make too many personnel decisions. Anyway, if yesterday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs had become anything resembling their week one trouncing at the hands of the Denver Broncos, Kiffin wouldn’t make it to the Tuesday walk around. Luckily—or unluckily maybe—the Raiders won, but they beat a woeful team that has its own issues under third year horrible head coach Herm Edwards. So when we watched this abomination of a game, we got to thinking—who deserves to get fired more, Kiffin or Edwards?

• Who: Lane Kiffin
• Coaches: The Oakland Raiders
• Years: 1.125
• Record With Current Team: 3-15
• Previous Gig: Offensive Coordinator, USC
• Why they might let him go: There’s a thought that says when a maligned coach gets a vote of confidence from the owner of the team, it’s a bad sign because they invariably get tossed a week later. Well, Kiffin didn’t even get that. Raiders Netherworldy owner Al Davis said recently “He [Kiffin] isn’t the coach I hired.” Yikes. Those are some breakup words if we ever heard them (and we’ve heard a lot).
• Why they should let him go: Sure, the internal strife that’s been dissolving the Raiders since their 2002 Super Bowl appearance is probably Davis’ fault. The recent tiff between Kiffin and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan stems from Kiffin asking in the off-season to replace Ryan, but Davis overruling him. But do you think Jon Gruden and his offensive coordinator Bill Callahan (who would end up taking Gruden’s job) was any better? They hated each other, but they made it a successful four-year run where they made it to the Super Bowl (and imploded after Gruden left). Maybe Kiffin doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to run in the NFL, but because he’s in such a lose-lose situation, we don’t know for sure. Let’s see what he does in another situation and judge him from there.
• What might save his job: Nothing. Every Bay Area newspaper has written his Oakland coaching obituary, even the Contra Costa Weekly World Shopper.
• Who: Herm Edwards
• Coaches: The Kansas City Chiefs
• Years: 3.125
• Record With Current Team: 13-21
• Previous Gig: Coach, New York Jets (2001-2005)
• Why they might let him go: Well, any time you go to the patented “three-quarterback” system to start the year as Edwards has, there has to be some questioning of your game management. Also, it turns out that his star running back Larry Johnson (and only true threat) has already quit on his team because of what he perceives as Edwards phasing him out of the offense. After yesterday’s game, he told the Kansas City Star…

  “I’ve got to sit back and figure that the writing is on the wall, that this season or next season could be my last season as a Chief,” Johnson said. “I don’t know. But obviously if they’re making personnel changes now and I’m not even in for any of the snaps to (try to) help win this game, then that pretty much says it for all.

  Not exactly a recipe for a winning season, even if you are starting an excess of quarterbacks.
• Why they should let him go: Any team that allows the awful Raiders to one up them should be fired before the uniforms are put in the washer after the game.
• What might save his job: As much as we like Edwards personally (we interviewed once and he’s really a good guy), he’s just horrible at managing the offensive side of the ball. BUT! There is a silver lining for KC fans, and it’s this. He knows what’s at stake every time you go out onto the field.

So who should go first? We have to think Lane, because we like him and it would put him out of his misery. The Raiders aren’t going to be a good team until Al Davis resigns or Van Helsing gets the proper hemlock to banish the original Raider to Hades. At least with Herm Edwards, you have a history of playoff appearances, even if they never really went right. Plus, you know, he knows why you really play the game for… not that he’s been doing too much of it in KC.

Images [AP]