Dear Lane Kiffin

I know you've seen all of this tape, because you guys drafted him. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't think he could play. I know you're only 32, and this is your first head coaching job, and that Mr. Davis ultimately decided to draft JaMarcus. But I read somewhere before the draft where you described him as "like the guys in the video games, who can make all the plays." I knew right then that JaMarcus Russell was going to the QB of the Oakland Raiders if you had anything to say about it.

I know it's not your fault that he missed training camp. But he was there for all of the mini-camps, and he's been here now for 8 weeks.

Look at that film again, and look at what you've getting from your quarterbacks the last 4 weeks. If the veterans are going to be turning the ball over and losing games, what good does that do anybody?

Maybe you're worried that what happened to Andrew Walter last year, when he got hit so much he was jealous of David Carr's protection, and lost all of his confidence, will happen to JaMarcus.

JaMarcus Russell is no Andrew Walter. And the line isn't as bad.

If I have one Raiders-related fantasy this week, it's this:

JaMarcus goes into your office and DEMANDS the job. Says he's going to start earning his $31 Million by taking the ball and leading this team. Sure, maybe he takes some lumps and has his share of turnovers.

Seriously, though, Coach. You need him. The fans can take losing with JaMarcus if he's showing promise. What we can't take is seeing poor Josh McCown doing a Donald Hollas impersonation. We can't stand Daunte Culpepper, God Bless him, stand 8 yards behind the center and then throw the ball to the other team.

There's 8 games left.

I'm In.

Are you?

Houston, YOU Have a Problem

I hope to see that T-shirt on my brother's back when I travel to Texas this weekend to visit him while escaping the Bay Area blackout. I'm not sure they are even showing the game in Texas. At least the trip should provide an opportunity to help build my 3-month-old niece's love for the Silver & Black.

So after a close loss to the Oilers, the Raiders are turning to Sam Houston State alum Josh McCown to face the Replacement Oilers. I tend to agree with McDonald - it's the right move. While it caused a lot of controversy, Gannon was merely pointing out the obvious while discussing the eternity it seemed to take for Daunte to get out from under Newberry. That and an expanded playbook should help the O-line return to form. Or at least not facing three of the NFL's top defensive fronts should help.

After 7 games things are a bit weird for the Raiders. We are vastly improved from last year, yet we have won just as many games. We are carrying more QBs than WRs on the roster. Justin Fargas is the best RB on a roster including LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes, and Michael Bush. The defense has suddenly arrived while continuing to fail against the run - and now our best run stopper is on IR. But at this point we have to start winning, and one can argue that we've lost a lot of close games against some pretty decent competition. So I am going with the Raiders over the Texans 27-17. Curry will catch 10 passes and LaMont will get back in the end zone. The defense will give up some rushing yards but will cause multiple turnovers. I will wear my Lester Hayes home jersey in Texas.

Is it just me or are 49ers ads the worst? Fittingly, they are a huge disappointment this year, but not as disappointing as a Falcons team playing out the season on "Bernard" Petrino's free pass. I'm willing to go 49ers 17 - Falcons 14 in a shocking upset.

Can someone tell me what the graphics near each sideline at the 50-yard line in Gillette Stadium are supposed to be? I think I knew this at some point (and sure I could look it up), but it looks like a facemask sticking out of a volcano, and I just can't get past that. As for the big hypefest, New England is most certainly studying video of Indy's defensive signals from January's game, and that will help them to a 34-30 victory on the road. No matter how many games they win, nothing can change the fact that the New England Patriots are convicted cheaters.

Joey Porter Guarantees a Dolphin Victory

All I can say is, "It's on."

Joey Porter is a jackass. It's not enough to be punching people at blackjack tables. Now he's guaranteeing a victory over the Raiders this Sunday.

"Write it how you want to write it," Porter said. "We will win on Sunday."

Here's how I want to write it:

Joey Porter can stick his guarantee up his ass.

You guys have 74-year old Trent Green as your quarterback. A guy who got dumped for Damon Huard. Don't tell me Daunte's not going to be fired up to face the team that dissed him. Just because he's quoting Gandhi doesn't mean he's going to show up in a diaper. Sure, he could have gone on a hunger strike to protest the Dolphins' mistreatment, but he didn't. He came to Oakland, and now he's going to kick some ass.

Here's my guarantee: the Raiders win, go 2-2, and after Denver gets its ass kicked by Indy, we're tied for first place in the AFC West going into the bye week.

Daunte!

Okay, I feel bad for McCown. I really do. He's a tough kid, he tries really hard, and I don't like to see anybody get hurt. Except for maybe Randy Moss. And I don't really want to see him get hurt so much as maybe get E-coli from a bad batch of wheat grass in one of his smoothies.

So I'm sorry McCown got hurt. But I'm really excited to see what Daunte's going to do.

By the way, if you have Sunday Ticket, the RedZone Channel shows the Raiders game, blackout or no, when either they or the Browns are in the red zone, or if it's the only game that's not currently in a time out.