Like Kiffin, Tom Cable Believes Janikowski's Leg is Indestructible, Supernatural

Raiders co-MVP* Sebastian Janikowski stands at 9-for-12 on field goals this season. Coming into today's battle of good and evil in New Orleans, Janikowski's only miss came on that maniacal 76-yard attempt against San Diego, the proverbial and superfluous grievance which got Lane Kiffin exiled.

New Oakland boss Tom Cable (who looks about as natural in the head coach role as 1996 Olympic mascot Izzy would as a vice presidential candidate**) loves to play with fire. He let Janikowski attempt kicks of 57 and 59 yards in the first half. The missed 57-yarder, with about two minutes left in the half, allowed New Orleans to score quickly. The missed 59-yarder (shock!), with 15 seconds left in the half, almost allowed Drew Brees to get his team into field goal range with one crossing pattern. In fact, the Saints should have gotten a 40-yard FGA, but the refs jobbed N.O. out of a time-out request with one second on the clock.

Brees has been an absolute surgeon, slicing the Raiders defense with a plethora underneath completions augmented with beautous surges up the middle from Deuce McAllister. I have as much trust in SeaBass as the next guy, but at some point you need to, you know, give your defense a fighting chance by making Brees and Friends march 80 yards instead of 55. Tom Cable, sir, you make poor decisions and I am pessimistic about your future.

* Shane Lechler, natch.
** This is to say Cable looks completely natural as an NFL head coach.

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