Everything the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints are, the Oakland Raiders must strive to become one day. While the difference in class is a vast as the waters separating the United States from Japan, the similarities in structure are similar.

Don’t take my word for it. Examine the rosters and you’ll see what I mean.

There are no 1,000-yard rushers in the French Quarter. What the Saints have is a diverse collection of running backs with various skill sets utilized in dynamic ways. You could give Tom Cable’s running backs to Sean Payton and there’d still be a Lombardi on its way to The Big Easy. If you gave Payton’s runners to Cable there’d still be another 11-loss season in the East Bay.

The difference is the ability of Payton to get the most out of what he’s got.

Both Reggie Bush and Darren McFadden will never be the prototypical NFL style runners. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving that Cable would finally use McFadden as a wide receiver in ‘09. It took Payton all of one mini-camp to comprehend how best to get Bush touches. Cable has a Bush of his own too – Michael Bush. Oakland’s Bush was by far the best runner on the team, yet he was often frozen out of the offense. Hue Jackson take note.

The lone 1,000-yard receiver on the Saints’ roster, Marques Colston, barely snuck over the line with 1,074 yards receiving. Colston, a 7^th round pick in the ’06 draft, is a big target with good speed and some pretty reliable hands (his Super Bowl drop not withstanding). Sound familiar? Almost reminds me of a guy the Raiders snagged in the 7^th round of the ’08 draft – Chaz Schilens. No, Schilens has not proven himself to be the talent Colston is, but he has similar abilities and talents.

Robert Meachem, just two healthy years into his NFL career, has already been labeled as a bust by some. But he still has a role and his coaches have found ways to get the most out of what he can offer to the team. Darrius Heyward-Bey take note.  

Then there’s the defense.

The Saints, like the Raiders, play a bend but don’t break style of D. However, the Saints keep the ball in front of them at all times, whereas the Raiders are constantly pursuing the ball in allowing big play after big play. While Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best cover corners you’ll ever see, his talent mean nothing if the men behind him aren’t doing their job. The New Orleans secondary does boast of Darren Sharper, one of the best playmakers to ever play the game. Michael Mitchell take note.

When it comes to pressuring the quarterback, both teams are very similar. The Saints totaled 35 sacks during the regular season, one less than what the Raiders amassed in ’09. The Saints, like the Raiders, weren’t great against the run. However, New Orleans forced more turnovers and in turn gave their offense more opportunities.

Of course, the biggest difference is the quarterback position.

JaMarcus Russell has nothing in common with Drew Brees. Russell has physical gifts Brees could only dream of. Brees has a work ethic which Russell will never possess.

Therein lies the reason why the Saints hoisted a Lombardi and the Raiders are drafting in the top 10 yet again.

The Raiders are a rudderless ship in desperate need of direction. Brees has a quick release, makes definitive decisions and is as accurate a thrower as you’ll find. But his biggest asset is his ability to get the team on one page, united for one cause. JaMarcus Russell take note.

There is much work to be done in Alameda before the Raiders can even begin to contemplate adding another trophy to the cabinet. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Al Davis doesn’t have a flattering bone in his body. He still desires to do things his way no matter the results.

Perhaps that is truly the biggest problem.

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Is Pendergast replacing Willie Brown?

Adam Schefter is reporting (via Twitter) that the Raiders are set to hire Clancy Pendergast as a defensive backs coach.

Pendergast was last seen in the AFC West as the defensive coordinator for the rival Kansas City Chiefs. This marks Clancy’s third stop in as many years. After coordinating the defense of the 2008 NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, Pendergast followed Todd Haley to Chief Country. His lone year in KC saw the Chiefs rank near the bottom of the NFL in total defense.

Pendergast worked with the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary during his six years in Jerry Town prior to his homecoming as the Cardinals’ D-coordinator.

The Raiders currently list Lionel Washington as the defensive backs coach on their official website. However, it would appear that Pendergast will be helping to replace the void left by the unceremonious retirement of defensive assistant Willie Brown. Of course, Brown is still listed as a defensive backs assistant on the offical site as well.

The Raiders have yet to confirm Schefter’s Tweet with any announcement of their own.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 has been announced and Tim Brown’s name is nowhere to be found.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for Brown to breakthrough in is first attempt at enshrinement. This was a top heavy class that includes the NFL’s all-time leaders in both rushing and receiving.

Former Raider Jerry Rice earned first ballot status, but that was a given.  Despite being an integral part of the last Super Bowl team in Oakland, Rice will forever be remembered as a San Francisco 49er.

While he’ll have more chances in the future to see his bust unveiled at Canton, Brown is far from alone in being left on the outside looking in this time around. Cris Carter, Andre Reed and Shannon Sharpe were among the other finalists who did not make the cut.

Brown stands atop the record book as the Raiders’ all-time leader in most every receiving category and should eventually get his due.  

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The honeymoon has long since concluded for JaMarcus Russell. The let’s wait and see outlook has been replaced by a let’s see how much weight he’s put on mentality.

This week alone has been a perfect snapshot of where his NFL career currently stands.

Just plug his name into a Google search and you’ll see what I mean.

Russell has one shot left.

Everything from his taste in jewelry to Rich Gannon’s take on his perception in the Oakland locker room is delivered in easily clickable links within a matter of seconds.

Then, buried in blurb regarding Tom Cable’s job status in a report on ESPN.com is the following.

Meanwhile, Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell is training in Arizona. The word is Russell has already shed some weight and he is working on improving his mechanics. It is Russell’s goal to show up for the Raiders’ off-season program in the spring in better physical shape and improved as a quarterback.

This is a good first step for Russell. He is likely entering his last chance in Oakland and he seems to be taking the situation seriously. 

His performance in 2009 spoke for itself. After finding success late in 2008, Russell assumed he had hit his stride and finally found a rhythm in the NFL. What he failed to realize is that while the player adjusts to the NFL, the league also adjusts to the player.

No excuses needed, his lack of preparation shone as brightly as the links around his neck.  

Playing behind an offensive line incapable of protecting themselves from getting wet if they had umbrellas didn’t help. Neither did the Houdini act pulled by the running game nor the rookie wide receivers learning on the job.

But hey, when you’re supposed to be the franchise quarterback expectations are that you’ll raise the team’s level of play. Not stoop to it.

No excuses.

From his aloof demeanor to his Vegas vacation to his coronation as the king of Mardi Gras and finally the public display of his diamond fetish. All would indicate an individual who simply rests on his laurels feeling no guilt for a less than exemplary work ethic.

Then a brief paragraph appears hidden in an innocuous non-update on the Cable situation.

JaMarcus has done himself no favors with a QB rating of 50.0 in ‘09. Bruce Gradkowski played behind the same O-line and posted a rating of 80.6 while also breathing life into the walking dead that was the Oakland offense.

There are clearly some not so subtle derogatory tones taken by many when criticizing Russell. His jewels are lampooned while Matthew Stafford being fondled by women for the sake of selling shampoo is largely ignored.

Make of it what you will. Only one thing can reverse this tide of negativity levied against Russell. The ball is in his court.

2010 is shaping up as the final chance to prove himself as an NFL caliber signal caller. Never mind franchise status. He’ll have to first prove himself better than Gradkowski first before any discussion of living up to his draft status can ensue.

Otherwise, Russell can forget about any positive news about him being nothing more than a footnote. His career will be one.

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Bill Williamson, ESPN’s official AFC West blogger, published a report last night stating that the Oakland Raiders still have yet to determine the fate of head coach Tom Cable.

Williamson quotes Oakland senior executive, the No Talent Ass Clown of the East Bay himself, John Herrera.

“We are still meeting and examining everything, we never said that Coach Cable will not return. That has all been media speculation from the beginning. If there is a change, we’ll let people know.”

Thanks, Herrera! The world breathlessly waits.

Seriously, who still thinks that Cable won’t be the coach in 2010?

Al Davis continues to make a mockery of the sports media by dangling his marionette in front of the press once a week just for laughs. At this point, Davis appears bored due to yet another off-season void of playoffs for the Silver and Black. As a result he’s relegated to passing the time by playing practical jokes on anybody with a press pass.

If Cable were to be fired then why was he allowed to participate in the evaluation process at the Senior Bowl last week? 

I’m not saying that piece of evidence alone validates Cable’s continued employment. But it would seem very counterproductive to ask a coaching staff to evaluate talent if they’re going to be shown the door weeks later. Why value the opinion of a coach who you don’t deem fit to walk the sideline in 2010?

Then again, maybe this is just a test from Mr. Davis.

Perhaps Davis and Doc Brown got together and went into the future to see how Tim Tebow’s pro career would pan out. Davis returned to the present and sent Cable to the Senior Bowl to specifically evaluate Tebow. Depending on how Cable views the Florida quarterback prospect, Davis will make his decision on which way to go with the head coaching position.

What, too far fetched?

Well, maybe it is delusional on my part to assume Al Davis understands the intricacies of space-time or has a grasp on the dynamics of the flux capacitor. Of course, all these continued reports of Cable coming and going are just as ridiculous.

At this point, if Davis fires Cable it would only reiterate the monotonous rumblings of Raider Haters nationwide: That the Raiders are a misfit organization operating on the whim of a mad man.

It would appear that Davis has no designs on firing Cable but instead is seeking to clarify his specific duties within the organization. With the hiring of Hue Jackson, Cable was rightfully stripped of his play calling duties. Perhaps the next step is to determine if Cable needs an Assistant Head Coach, a practice that has gained popularity in the NFL recently.

Either way, it does not appear that Cable will be fired.

Maybe my assertions are incorrect and Davis will relieve Cable of his duties. From where I sit, I just can’t see Davis allowing Cable to continue his coaching responsibilities if he has no desire of keeping him around for next season.

Whatever the case, we’re all on the outside while Davis and his cronies chuckle at their inside joke.

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Farewell, football. Till we meet again this Summer.

The 10 Best Super Bowl Performances by Losing Quarterbacks – Just because they didn’t hoist a Lombardi doesn’t mean they didn’t ball.  

Grady Sizemore is Sorry About That – Athletes everywhere are learning a harsh lesson about the dangers of private pics becoming not so private anymore. Greg Oden recently joined the Sizemore Club and like Grady he later had to apologize. However, Babes Love Baseball wonders if there is anything to truly apologize for in the first place.

The Sex Offender Shuffle - By far the best, and most disturbing, Super Bowl Shuffle parody in existence. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hate humanity.

Rudy Gay Accidentally Hits the X Button Too Soon - The best sports blooper of the week! This has happened to all of us at some point. Except when we do it we’re playing PS3.

Got Milk? Super Bowl Reggies Do – An exclusive look at the behind-the-scenes making of the Reggie Wayne vs. Reggie Bush “Got Milk” campaign. If by milk they mean Kardashian, then yes, Bush and most of the Southern California population has milk.

The Toronto Raptors and Vanilla Ice – Let me get this straight: The Raptors asked Vanilla Ice to play for fan appreciation night. Wow! Just proves my theory that Canadians know nothing about Hip Hop and love douchebags. What’s next? Will they invite Snow to play if the Raptors make the playoffs?

Peyton and Cooper Manning Were Best Buds – While all of pro football has yet to discover a way to stop Peyton Manning, his brother Cooper has owned him his entire life. Here is the video proof.

West Virginia Fans Actually Got Worse – Quick! Who has the worst fans in sports? Philly? Glasgow? New York? Nope! It’s West Virginia, specifically Morgantown, and just to prove it they threw a penny at an opposing coach after being asked to “represent the Mountaineers better”. Classy!

J.J. Redick Should Be in the Three-Point Shootout – Here is a great suggestion on how to generate some interest in the three-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend. To begin, put guys in the contest that can actually shoot. Second, stir up interest by allowing a former Dukie to compete. Everyone wins! The contest improves in quality and us Blue Devil haters can get our fix of Redick bashing.

Michelle Beadle’s Best Day Ever! – Here’s a hint, it involves her getting down on all fours. Yeah, I went there.

The Super Bowl is Scripted – Raider Nation has known the NFL is scripted for some time now. But finally, we have video proof.

Just to reassure us all, and to prove Jerry McDonald right, Nnamdi Asomugha told the San Francisco Chronicle that his desire to play with Darrelle Revis in New York was a joke and nothing more.

 ”I’m a proud Oakland Raider so you can erase any thoughts of me wanting to go somewhere else. If we can add some players from the Pro Bowl to the Raiders, then that would be great. In the meantime, let’s not make something out of nothing.”

Chalk all this up to the lull between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. Call it Pro-Bowl boredom. Just don’t call it tampering…oops…somebody jumped the gun on that story too.

(On a side note: Doesn’t it feel like the Luniz should be playing while Nnamdi was talking?)

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