Not yet, anyway.

Whether Raiders coach Lane Kiffin can keep his job with a win over the San Diego Chargers is something only Al Davis knows for sure, and he's not talking.

Even with Kiffin.

"The last time I had a conversation with Al, I would say, was before the Denver game," Kiffin said.

That was the regular-season opener, an embarrassing 41-14 home loss for the Raiders.

Stories began circulating shortly afterward Kiffin was in big trouble, with the Raiders beating the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8 in Week 2. They continued through a 24-23 loss in Buffalo.

In contrast to the January decision by Davis to retain defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, when the Raiders issued a press release asking the stories to cease because there would be no change, Kiffin's job status has been greeted by organizational silence.

The Raiders even requested that Ryan refute Kiffin's claim between Weeks 1 and 2 that Davis and Ryan meet weekly to discuss game plans, and made available last week a column critical of Kiffin to local beat writers.

Yet Kiffin has no plans to walk upstairs and inquire as to whether he will be around much longer.

"I'm not going to be telling Al how he should be handling this situation," Kiffin said. "He's been doing this for a long time, has had great success in the league for a long time. I've got enough things to worry about, so I don't need to worry about telling him how he should handle it. He'll do what he feels in the best interest in our team, I'm sure."

Last January, Kiffin arrived to work one day and reportedly found a letter of resignation on his desk that he was asked to sign. He refused. If fired, Kiffin is owed the remainder of this season and next season on his contract. If Kiffin resigns, he is owed nothing.

Kiffin has publicly removed the possibility of resignation from the table.

"There's no way I'm quitting, and that has nothing to do with money at all," Kiffin said. "I talked a lot of these players into coming here at some point ... in free agency over the last two years. A lot of coaches, I recruited them and their families to come here and build this thing together.

"So the last thing I'm ever going to do is quit, the way that you guys are talking about quitting or even behind closed doors, as far as my energy or my passion toward getting this thing turned around. Because I believe we can get this thing turned around."

With that as a backdrop, the Raiders face a Chargers team they haven't beaten since Sept. 28, 2003.

Six remain from that team are on the current roster -- kickers Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski, running back Justin Fargas, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, wide receiver Ronald Curry and quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo.

The Raiders were defending AFC champions, yet to show signs of age or injury, and Rich Gannon passed for 348 yards, with Jerry Rice catching seven passes for 126 yards and Tim Brown six for 110.

In the meantime, the Raiders have gone through Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, with Kiffin's head the next on the chopping block.

Raiders players do their best to put blinders on, urged by their coach to "control what they can control."

Linebacker Thomas Howard said it's not that simple.

"I get so many text messages saying, 'Is your coach fired,'" Howard said. 'I'm like, 'Man, I don't know.' The media loves it. I mean, I guess it's great talk. It's drama. It makes for good TV, I guess.

"We can't worry about it, man. I know a lot of guys around here that have been through two or three head coaches. We've just got to stick together, let it be what it's going to be."

Kiffin has weathered the storm with a resigned stoicism. He knows the questions are coming, he answers them as best he can, and moves on, never showing emotion or anger.

"This seems to be the common question here every day," Kiffin said. "I'm going to put it this way -- until I'm told by Al Davis that I'm not the head coach here anymore, we're going to keep plugging away the same way we have been. I have not been told by Al Davis that I'm not the head coach. Until he tells me directly, we'll keep plugging away."

Following the Buffalo loss, during which the Raiders blew a 23-14 lead with 4:09 to play, quarterback JaMarcus Russell was asked if he felt bad for Kiffin.

"For him? I feel bad for myself," Russell said. "He's a part of this organization and team, so why wouldn't I?"

SERIES HISTORY: 97th meeting. Raiders lead 54-40-2. Chargers have won last nine, including a 30-17 win in 2007 regular-season finale, which was the first start for quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Last Raiders win was a 34-31 overtime win in Week 4 of the 2003 season.