Raiders fire Kiffin after a 1-3 start

The Oakland Raiders fired Lane Kiffin yesterday just four games into his second season, ending a public feud with owner Al Davis that had been simmering since the start of the year.

Offensive line coach Tom Cable will take over on an interim basis. Oakland has a bye this week before Cable coaches his first game at New Orleans on Oct. 12.

The Raiders were 5-15, including 1-3 this season, since Kiffin was hired in 2007 to replace Art Shell.

Kiffin was a 31-year-old assistant at Southern California when Davis came calling, making him the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era.

Kiffin had signed a two-year deal worth about $4 million with a team option for 2009.

Rams. Quarterback Marc Bulger was back with the starters after backup Trent Green started Sunday's 31-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Scott Linehan's final game as coach in St. Louis.

Bulger is the highest-paid player in franchise history. Jim Haslett, who was the Rams' defensive coordinator before taking Linehan's place on Monday, said Bulger would be the starter for the rest of the season.

Bills. Buffalo shuffled fullbacks by signing Corey McIntyre and releasing Darian Barnes.

McIntyre spent last season with Atlanta before his September release. Barnes sprained his right foot in Buffalo's 24-23 win over Oakland on Sept. 21 and missed Sunday's game.

Bengals. Running back Cedric Benson signed with Cincinnati, who was undeterred by two alcohol-related arrests in Texas that prompted the Chicago Bears to let him go.

Benson will take the spot of running back DeDe Dorsey, who was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Texans. Houston placed safety C.C. Brown on injured reserve and signed fullback Cecil Sapp. Brown broke his arm against Jacksonville on Sunday and had surgery on Monday.

Steelers. Running back Rashard Mendenhall (shoulder) and right guard Kendall Simmons (Achilles tendon) have been placed on injured reserve after being injured in the team's 23-20 victory over Baltimore on Monday.

The Steelers must play Jacksonville this week without top rusher Willie Parker, who has a strained knee. Their lone healthy halfback is Mewelde Moore, who ran eight times for 13 yards against the Ravens.

Giants. Backup running back Danny Ware was arrested early Sunday in Athens, Ga., and charged with an alcohol offense while walking in the road. Police say Ware and a woman were standing in the street talking and traffic had to steer around them. The police report said Ware's breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.152 percent.

Steroid admission. Former NFL draft bust Tony Mandarich says he used steroids at Michigan State and faked a drug test before the 1988 Rose Bowl.

He also said during an interview on Inside the NFL that will air tonight on Showtime that he did not use steroids in the NFL but was addicted to alcohol and painkillers.

The offensive lineman was the No. 2 overall pick in 1989 by the Packers. He lasted just three years with Green Bay amid rumors of steroid use.