National Football League

Oakland Raiders feel turnaround coming

Published Oct. 14, 2010 10:15 a.m. ET

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Tom Cable is fresh from coaching his 33rd game with the Raiders. That might not sound noteworthy, but it is a rare milestone for a Raiders coach.

Cable joins Jon Gruden as the only coaches to make it past the equivalent of two full seasons since the team returned to Oakland in 1995.

Coincidentally, Cable reached the 33-game mark against a San Diego Chargers team coached by Norv Turner, one of three men who lasted 32 regular-season games with the Raiders before being fired by Al Davis. Mike White and Bill Callahan were the others.

Cable's record since he replaced Lane Kiffin four games into the 2008 season improved to 11-22 with the victory over the Chargers.

Cable is more concerned about the progress he has made in changing the culture of a franchise that lost at least 11 games each of the past seven seasons.

"I do think we have changed our mentality," he said Wednesday. "We've changed how we do business from Wednesday to Sunday. Now it's a matter of going out and repeating that kind of effort, intensity and desire that it takes on Sunday. I do think we're getting close to that."

The Raiders are 2-3, but they came within a 32-yard field goal against the Arizona Cardinals and a play here or there against the Houston Texans from winning two more games.

"Right now, we understand what we have to do in order to succeed as a team," Cable said. "That's where our focus is. "... It's just what do we have to do to go out and play our best? That's our whole mentality now, and that's the right way."

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, in his eighth season with the Raiders, said Davis' decision to bring back Cable for a second full season is manifesting itself in improved performance.

"It's always a big impact when you don't have a coaching change, because guys are used to the person who is calling the shots," Asomugha said.

The players identify with Cable, Asomugha said. He speaks their language and isn't afraid to make tough decisions.

Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour, a key player on three Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots, said Cable has Oakland on the precipice of something special.

"When Mr. Davis made the trade for me, this is one of the things I envisioned happening here," said Seymour, who joined the Raiders in September 2009. "Obviously, the Raiders have a great tradition here, but it's great to start your own legacy. We can't live on the things that guys did in the past. We definitely respect that, but we have to start making our own legacy.

"It's starting to manifest itself in practice. You can see that we're a play away here and, obviously, one play away in the Arizona game. Even as bad as we played (against Houston), we were a drive away. So, things are starting to come around for us."

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