On Deck: Al Davis defies logic by keeping Russell, cutting Cable

It looks as though Raiders' owner Al Davis will choose quarterback JaMarcus Russell over coach Tom Cable.

Oakland struggled its way to a 5-11 record, the same record the team put up in the 2008 campaign, but picked up only two of those wins with Russell at the helm. The other wins came with journeyman quarterback and walking Scrabble board Bruce Gradkowski.

Instead of blaming the team's patchwork offensive line, a wide receiver corps that resembles the love child of Charles Rogers and Ted Ginn or a defense that has more holes than 16th Street, Davis is placing the full blame on Cable.

I can't call Cable a saint. The man has knocked out more assistant coaches than playoff contenders.

Still, he changed the defeatist attitude in Oakland and had the team, players and fans believing in the squad once more. But while the Raiders settled in for an exit meeting with the players, Russell sat down in an exit-row seat on his way to Las Vegas.

Just sin, baby.

That's the man Davis has sided with, and he's going to pay him $9 million to keep it up. He won't cut the cord, but he will cut the Cable.