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If this is it for Bill Callahan with the Raiders, it will have been a remarkable ride.
In two seasons as the head coach of one of the NFL's signature franchises, working
for one of the most demanding owners in sports, Callahan has experienced a career's
worth of ups and downs. From the four-game losing streak in the first season
that threatened to tear his team apart to the euphoria/devastation of Super
Bowl XXXVII in San Diego to the high hopes and dashed dreams of the 2003 season.
He and his team are back in San Diego today, for the season finale against the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Instead of embarking on another playoff run, the Raiders (4-11) are just trying to find something positive to take into an off-season that promises a lot of changes for an aging, underperforming team.
The strange coincidence of finishing this season in the city and stadium where
everything unraveled in a 48-21 Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay isn't lost on Callahan.
"I think that thought will cross our minds," Callahan acknowledged
last week. "My first question was, `Are we staying in the same hotel?'
"
They're not. And soon, Callahan might have other concerns. He's at the end of
a two-year contract, but the Raiders hold options for the next three. Here's
a look at the factors that could affect whether Callahan, 47, is back in 2004:
The owner
The business of predicting what Al Davis will do, or what he thinks, is speculative,
at best.
Callahan's future with the team probably comes down to two key questions:
• How much does Davis hold him responsible for the team's on-field failures?
• Does Davis think Callahan has lost the team?
The Raiders' heavy injury toll -- they have sent 12 players to injured reserve
since the start of the season -- would make winning tough for any coach. But
even before the injuries started coming in waves, the Raiders looked nothing
like they did a season earlier. Players have complained about changes in the
offense, and certainly something has gone very wrong: A year ago, the Raiders
ranked first in the NFL in passing. Now, they're No. 24.
The second question has less-concrete answers. In early November, star cornerback
Charles Woodson criticized Callahan, saying he was arrogant and didn't listen
to his veterans. The cornerback laid into the coach twice -- once on ESPN, again
after the team's loss at Detroit -- before Callahan responded in any sort of
forceful way.
Earlier this month, Woodson was asked if he would return to the Raiders if Callahan
were the coach, and he said, "I'm not going to touch that." Not exactly
an endorsement. Callahan also has been ridiculed in the locker room for giving
too much credit to opponents when the Raiders lose.
On the other hand, other players -- notably linebackers Napoleon Harris and
Eric Barton -- have defended the coach.
It all comes down to what Davis thinks. He'll let us know in due time.
The rebuilding
The Raiders lost their starting strong-side linebacker, Bill Romanowski, after
three games. They lost their MVP quarterback, Rich Gannon, in Week 7. They have
sent starters on the offensive line (Frank Middleton, Mo Collins), defensive
line (John Parrella, Trace Armstrong) and defensive backfield (Rod Woodson)
to injured reserve.
"I've never seen anything like it," Rod Woodson said earlier this
season.
The Raiders are infused with youth, but at key positions, they are an aged team.
Gannon is 38, as is Rod Woodson. Romanowski and Armstrong are expected to retire.
The wide receivers -- Jerry Rice (41) and Tim Brown (37) -- are on their last
legs.
Is Callahan the right guy to guide the Raiders through a rebuilding process?
His approach is that of a teacher, and by and large, the younger players on
the team seem to respond to him. And a Raiders coach is required to carry a
lot of water for the organization, and Callahan has been a good company man.
The effort
Victories against Minnesota and Baltimore -- both in the playoff hunt -- were
big for Callahan's future. Brutal losses against Denver (twice) and Green Bay
were not. The Raiders have made a big deal this season about how often they
have been in games, but in many ways, that kind of talk just underscores how
far the Raiders have fallen. Championship teams don't take pride in almost winning.
The season spiraled out of control in early October, when the Raiders blew a
15-point halftime lead at Chicago. They lost the next week in Cleveland, then
came up a yard short against Kansas City on "Monday Night Football."
They limped into the bye week at 2-5 and never found a groove.
It all adds up to a mixed bag for Callahan. If today marks his last game with
the Raiders, he will have had a remarkable arc with this team -- two seasons,
a .500-or-worse overall record and one Super Bowl appearance.
The coach claims not to be affected by the uncertainty surrounding him.
"Coming from where I did, the South Side of Chicago, it doesn't even faze
me," he said this month.
Perhaps not. But it should make for stirring off-season drama.