Cable makes plug, play a reality
Tom Cable was one of the most unpopular hires when Jon Gruden put his staff together in 2018.
The same Cable who got dumped by Al Davis as head coach when Hue Jackson fixed a sagging offense in 2010. The guy who was trashed by Davis in one of his more vindictive moments when the owner tried to restore the franchise as he battled health issues. An in- season replacement for Lane Kiffin, Cable was given the impossible task of making sure JaMarcus Russell was a worthy No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.
It’s not like Cable had a great reputation in Seattle as the line coach either, even though coach Pete Carroll swore by him.
Yet in Gruden’s third year in his second tenure with the Raiders, Cable has met the expectations of the head coach while exceeding those of pretty much everyone else. It’s in keeping with the position group — you don’t hear from linemen when they do well, only when they’re called for penalties or give up a sack.
The Raiders’ offensive line has cleared holes for Josh Jacobs and protected Derek Carr, and they’ve done it even without their highest paid offensive lineman in Trent Brown, his backup swing tackle in Sam Young and with swing guard Denzelle Good stepping in as the emergency right tackle.
They’ve done it with rookie fourth- round draft pick John Simpson having to play against New Orleans for Richie Incognito, who went on injured reserve with an Achilles’ injury.
Cable’s first go- round with the Raiders included distant allegations of spousal abuse and an altercation with Randy Hanson which left the assistant with a broken jaw. Fans didn’t care about that as much as the belief that Cable’s adherence to zone blocking reduced the effectiveness of running back Darren McFadden, who blossomed with Jackson running the offense.
There was a memorable moment in training camp after Cable’s altercation with Hanson that his players, led by running back Justin Fargas, started a “Cable, Bumaye” chant which was a play on the African support for Muhammad Ali before his bout with George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.
That was a clue the players liked and respected Cable, who was held in high regard by his position group. Robert Gallery, the former No. 2 overall pick who was listening to too many voices, was flailing as a left tackle until Cable moved him inside to guard. Gallery played much better, and pretty much everyone who played under Cable on the offensive line was in his corner. Many are still in contact with him.
Cable, who had issues with substance abuse in his family, stepped up in that regard with the Raiders and was one of the first to help Darren Waller find a support group when he was signed off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad in 2018.
When Cable spoke with reporters via Zoom on Thursday, he invoked the influence of Alex Gibbs, the former line coach whom Davis fired as part of Mike Shanahan’s staff in 1988 but was regarded as one of the top teachers of the craft. Gibbs was a consultant in Atlanta when Cable was a line coach for the Falcons in 2006.
It was Cable who advocated the Raiders taking Kolton Miller in the first round in the 2018 draft. Viewed a reach at the time, Miller has validated that pick and could be on the verge of Pro Bowl recognition, depending on the Raiders’ win-loss record.
Some thoughts from Cable from his media session: THE INFLUENCE OF GIBBS IN HAVING PLAYERS READY AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS >> “First, you’ve got to figure out your first five. And then you’ve got to figure out your sixth man, then your seventh man, then your eighth man. And when you pick out six, seven and eight, all those guys have to be able to play two spots. Six, seven and eight train that way, and that’s how I was taught.”
THE ASCENSION OF MILLER >> “The experience factor has taken hold. Nothing is too big for him. Last week alone I think he blocked five different rushers at left tackle and didn’t have any issues. It’s really taken hold from last year because his technique and belief in himself came in to play. Now he thinks he’s the best left tackle there is in that game at that moment.”
J O HN SI M PS ON ’ S P E R - FORMANCE AGAINST THE
SAINTS DESPITE NO OFFSEASON PROGRAM >> “It gives you a glimpse of what’s to come. These guys could have had 250 to 300 pass (protection) reps. He didn’t get any of that. He walks into our training camp for the first time and has to jump into our system and play. That’s just the kind of the way it is this year. But if they are of the right character, the right spirit, they have a shot. That’s what he’s demonstrating.”
THE PROSPECT OF GETTING THE STARTERS TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME >> “I know it’s going to be like Christmas soon when they’re all together. I’m very proud of what they’re doing day in and day out and what we’ve accomplished so far. The time will come when everybody is together, and hopefully, we’ll take another step forward and raise our play. For right now, it’s about winning the next game. That’s all that matters.”