What Is 2008 Oakland Raiders football team

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2008 Oakland Raiders finished with a 5–11 record, placing last in the AFC West under head coach Lane Kiffin. They scored only 210 points, the worst in the league, and struggled with quarterback instability throughout the season.

Key Facts

Finished the season with a 5–11 win-loss record
Head coach Lane Kiffin was fired after one season
Scored just 210 total points, the fewest in the NFL
JaMarcus Russell started 12 games at quarterback
Lost final eight games of the season

Overview

The 2008 season marked one of the most disappointing years in Oakland Raiders history, finishing with a 5–11 record and last place in the AFC West. Under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, the team showed little offensive improvement and struggled with consistency on both sides of the ball.

Despite high expectations following the controversial selection of JaMarcus Russell first overall in 2007, the offense failed to develop. The defense allowed 345 points, and the team ended on an eight-game losing streak, culminating in Kiffin’s dismissal after the season.

Record: The Raiders finished 5–11, their worst win percentage since 2006, and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
Head coach:Lane Kiffin, hired at age 31, became the youngest head coach in the modern NFL era but was fired after just one season.
Offensive struggles: The team scored only 210 points (13.1 per game), the lowest in the NFL, ranking 32nd in total offense.
Quarterback issues:JaMarcus Russell started 12 games, throwing for 2,018 yards but only 3 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, with a 59.1 passer rating.
Defensive performance: Allowed 345 points (21.6 per game), ranking 26th in points allowed, with inconsistent pass rush and secondary play.

Performance & Season Highlights

The 2008 Raiders showed brief flashes of competitiveness but failed to sustain momentum. Injuries, poor coaching decisions, and lack of quarterback development derailed any hope of a turnaround.

Week 1: Opened with a 20–17 win over the Chargers, giving fans hope, but it was their only victory in the first nine games.
Midseason struggles: Lost six straight games between Weeks 2 and 7, including a 34–3 defeat to the Falcons in Week 4.
JaMarcus Russell: Despite a $61 million contract, Russell failed to meet expectations, completing just 53.8% of passes with more interceptions than touchdowns.
Running game:Justin Fargas led the team with 733 rushing yards, but the offense averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.
Coaching turmoil: Kiffin publicly criticized players, including Russell, leading to locker room tension and media scrutiny throughout the season.
Final stretch: Lost their last eight games, including a 38–7 blowout by the Eagles in Week 16, sealing their last-place finish.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 2008 Raiders compared to other bottom-tier teams in key statistical categories:

Team	Record	Points For	Points Against	QB Rating
2008 Oakland Raiders	5–11	210	345	59.1 (Russell)
2008 St. Louis Rams	2–14	266	436	62.4 (Bulger)
2008 Detroit Lions	0–16	260	471	70.8 (Stafford/Morangello)
2008 Miami Dolphins	11–5	390	345	77.4 (Pennington)
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers	12–4	339	231	84.6 (Roethlisberger)

While not the worst record in the league, the Raiders’ combination of offensive futility and coaching instability made them one of the most underachieving teams of the season. Unlike the Lions, who were historically bad, or the Rams, who had defensive woes, Oakland’s failure stemmed from poor quarterback development and leadership breakdowns.

Why It Matters

The 2008 season became a cautionary tale in NFL mismanagement, highlighting the risks of investing heavily in underperforming talent and inexperienced coaching. It also marked the beginning of a prolonged era of futility for the franchise.

Legacy of JaMarcus Russell: His poor performance led to his release in 2010 and became a symbol of draft busts in NFL history.
Coaching instability: Kiffin’s firing continued a trend of short-lived head coaches in Oakland, with no long-term stability until the late 2010s.
Front office criticism: Al Davis’s insistence on Russell fueled criticism of the Raiders’ drafting philosophy during this era.
Impact on future drafts: The team’s poor record in 2008 gave them a high draft pick in 2009, used to select Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall.
Fan disillusionment: Attendance declined, and national relevance waned as the team remained non-competitive for nearly a decade.
Historical context: Part of a 13-year playoff drought (2003–2015), the longest in franchise history, underscoring the season’s significance.

The 2008 season exemplified how poor personnel decisions and leadership can derail a franchise. Though overshadowed by the Lions’ 0–16 season, the Raiders’ struggles had long-term consequences that echoed well into the 2010s.