Embattled Raiders coach Lane Kiffin reported for duty Monday morning resolute in his belief that he has the support of his players and coaches and unfazed by the prospect of being fired by managing general partner Al Davis.
Kiffin addressed a larger-than-usual Bay Area media throng Monday at his weekly news conference, with many there to check into a MediaNews story Sunday that Davis is prepared to fire Kiffin at any point.
"I have not spoken with him, (and) I have not been told anything,"
Kiffin said, when asked if he had met with Davis since the report surfaced.
And Kiffin has no intention of meeting with Davis, unless summoned. He said he intends to go about his business of coaching the Raiders until he is told otherwise.
"I don't need that,"
Kiffin said of a definitive answer from Davis regarding his status. "I'm not worried about that."
Any face-to-face conversations would have to be initiated by Davis. A prime opportunity for just such an engagement came and went Sunday night.
Kiffin returned home from Kansas City, Mo., on the team's chartered plane Sunday night. He and Davis didn't speak during the three-hour-plus flight.
Kiffin called that a "normal"
occurrence. However, coaching with the prospect of being fired two games into a 16-game season is anything but normal.
Two people in the Raiders front office, who requested anonymity, said Monday that Davis' anger over what he views as Kiffin's insubordination the past eight months or so didn't lessen on the heels of an impressive 23-8 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Davis has a plan, they said, and he will execute it "when he's good and ready. He isn't bound to anyone's timetable."
On the surface, making a coaching change this week makes little sense, given the Raiders are fresh from a road game and have only two days of practice — the players are off today — before boarding a plane for Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday.
That's not a concern to Davis, the two front-office people said, because a replacement from Kiffin's staff wouldn't need much time to get up to speed.
"Al Davis is going to do things his way,"
one of the front-office people said. "He's earned that right after almost five decades in the league. He isn't going to make an impulsive decision."
So be it, Kiffin said. His focus is upon Oakland's game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
"He has a decision to make,"
Kiffin said of Davis. "It does me no good to worry about it right now."
Wide receiver Ronald Curry is the longest-tenured player on the Raiders roster outside of kicker Sebastian Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler. He has witnessed the firing of three coaches in his seven-year NFL career — Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Art Shell.
Word of Kiffin being on shaky ground began soon after last season ended, beginning with Kiffin firing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan in January, only to be told by Davis that he didn't have that authority.
"We've been dealing with that since March,"
Curry said of the spat between Davis and Kiffin. "They have been going back and forth with it. You just worry about the things that you can control. It's business and, hopefully, it doesn't happen. Kiffin does a great job, but it's Al's team, and Kiffin knew that when he got here. Everybody knows what's going on."
Through it all, Kiffin said he has no regrets, that he has enjoyed the experience of being an NFL coach and that he isn't averse to sticking around for the rest of this season and beyond.
"I want to be here,"
he said. "We have a real good group of players and there are so many things going in the right direction with a bunch of young guys. "
... The neatest thing that can happen is, when a place has been down for a while and has not won many games, and you come in and you win and you're part of that process. "... We have a chance to do that."
For now, only Davis knows how and when this will end, for sure.
Long after the Chiefs game ended Sunday, Kiffin spotted three reporters in the locker room and called out to one: "See you later ... maybe."
Kiffin disappeared for a few seconds, poked his head out again and said: "If I don't, it's been good."
Notes: Running back Justin Fargas underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the groin injury he sustained against the Chiefs on Sunday. His status will be evaluated today and updated Wednesday, Kiffin said. Fellow running back Darren McFadden sustained a turf toe injury Sunday. Kiffin said he is hopeful that McFadden won't miss much, if any, practice this week. "... Wide receiver Javon Walker started against the Chiefs but played only a handful of downs. None of JaMarcus Russell's 17 passes was directed at Walker. He said he is eager to get past his hamstring injury and make a contribution."
"Oh, I'm ready,"
Walker said. "Usually, I've got a loud mouth about that, but I've been pretty quiet. And then when I go home I see all the receivers who I know and who I played against and see all the balls they're catching, it kind of gets to the point where you can't wait to get back on the same page as what they're doing."
