ALAMEDA – It was a bizarre week, even by Raiders standards.
It was a much-needed weekend off, by any team's standards.
Following a seven-day stint in which their head coach was fired, they listened to their owner publicly undress him in a wild news conference that amounted to an off-off-off Broadway production and included a 10-minute intermission, saw their offensive-line coach promoted to interim head coach and took a weekend off courtesy of their bye, the Raiders returned to work Monday.
Whew! And they hope they're wiser for the experience entering Sunday's game in New Orleans. They're already healthier. No wonder interim coach Tom Cable, standing in for the fired Lane Kiffin, is a fan of the bye week.
"I am right now, based on what we've been through, you know? I'm a huge fan," Cable said with what was a cross between a sigh of relief and a nervous laugh. "It's given everybody a chance to just take a deep breath, take it all in. We spoke as a team on Thursday before we left about where we wanted to go and what it would take to get there, so I think having these last 72 hours to really absorb that (was good).
"You come out (Monday) and you see the tempo and the speed of play out there … was really good, so I liked where (the bye) came. We needed it, obviously, with a couple of guys nicked up. You get your (Justin) Fargas back, you get your (Darren) McFadden back. It's going to get some of those guys that have been nicked up kind of healthy now. So it came at a good time for us."
Indeed, Fargas, the starting running back who has not played since the Kansas City game in Week 2 because of a groin injury, and slashing hybrid backup McFadden, slowed by turf toe, should be ready for the Saints.
The timing of the bye – after just four games – served as a blessing for Fargas, who has 140 yards on 27 carries after rushing for a career-high 1,009 yards last season.
"It definitely worked out well to where I missed one less game," he said. "It always helps to have time to rest up. I'm recovering faster than I thought I would."
Cable said Fargas would retain his starting position once his health returned and did not think his presence would negatively impact Michael Bush's role.
Plus, the Raiders added depth to their blocking and pass-catching roles by re-signing tight end John Madsen, who was let go just before the trip to Orchard Park, N.Y., to face Buffalo in Week 3.
"It was kind of out of the blue," Madsen said of his release. "I had no idea things were really going that bad.
"I guess there can be one person that doesn't like you and one person that does," he continued. "You just never know what's going on behind the scenes."
DeAngelo Hall saw the man behind the curtain for himself last week. The cornerback was in the back of the room for Al Davis' public firing of Kiffin.
"I was up here to work out anyway and I had some work getting done at my house, so I was like, 'You know, I heard something was going on anyway, I'm going to come on down,' " Hall said. "And I came down, and the circus was on."
Just another week in Silver and Blackdom.
Call The Bee's Paul Gutierrez, (916) 326-5556.
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