Stat of the Week I
What exactly has been going on in Oakland since the Raiders reached the Super Bowl? The records, and coaches, of the Oakland Raiders since 2003:
2003: 4-12 under Bill Callahan; 2004: 5-11 under Norv Turner; 2005: 4-12 under Turner; 2006: 2-14 under Art Shell; 2007: 4-12 under Lane Kiffin. Total: 19-61.
Stat of the Week II
The worst teams in the NFL since 2003:
1. Oakland 19-61
2. San Francisco 25-55
3. Detroit 26-54
4. Arizona 28-52
4. Houston 28-52
This ineptitude has been going on for a half-decade now. To put some perspective on how absolutely horrible Oakland has been, consider that the run began the year after the Raiders went to the Super Bowl. You don't go to the Super Bowl with a horrendous base of talent. There has to be some ability there. Yet, in the five years following that appearance, the Raiders have been significantly worse than every one of the four expansion teams of this generation have been in their first five seasons.
You can look it up. In regular-season records, Jacksonville (49-31), Carolina (38-42), Cleveland (26-54) and Houston (24-56) averaged 34 wins in their first five seasons of existence -- 15 more than the Raiders have had in their last five seasons.