







When Mark Davis made his first major move as the Raiders' owner last January, hiring Reggie McKenzie as the team's general manager and firing coach Hue Jackson after a solitary, 8-8 season, some of us blasted the decision like Jack Tatum lighting up a defenseless receiver back in the day.

In my column likening the late Al Davis' son to "Tommy Boy", I called Jackson's firing an astonishingly dumb move. Then-Raiders wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh was among those who shared that opinion, telling me, "I'll bet you San Diego, Kansas City and Denver like this move, because we would have been good next year with Hue."

Well, next year is here, and it's indeed a horror show: Two weeks into the 2012 season, the Raiders are the worst team in football – and the obvious occupant of the lowest rung on our 32 Questions status-interpretation ladder. They have taken the term ugly early to a new level, having been blown out last Sunday by the Dolphins, for whom the ignominious 32nd question was saved a week ago.

Or, to put it another way: The Romney campaign has had a better September than the Raiders.

I take no joy in the misery of Raider Nation. Oakland hasn't had a winning season since 2002, and an extensive rebuilding process is a lot to ask of this particular fan base, especially when its rival across the Bay – to whom our first question is dedicated for the second consecutive week – looks like the class of football a year after a rookie coach provoked a dramatic turnaround.

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So far, Allen is the anti-Jim Harbaugh. On a positive note, the Raiders' new coach is quite docile in news conferences ("We've got to coach better, we've got to play better") and keeps his grooming habits to himself.

If his unmanicured hand can guide the Raiders out of this Black Hole anytime soon, there's no question I'll be forced to reassess my view of the situation. Until then, I miss Hue – and whether they admit it, I suspect a lot of Raiders fans do, too.

JUST ASKING

1. San Francisco 49ers: After calling the Lions "chippy" – and then claiming that he didn't recall having said that – should Harbaugh have received an interrogative visit from Jon and Ponch?

2. Houston Texans: Will the Muddle Huddle befuddle the Broncos at Mile High next Sunday?