Help Is On the Way and Raiders Really Need It : But Even Bo Jackson’s Arrival May Not Be Enough to Turn Things Around
The wagons have been circled. The casualties are mounting. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are flying. It doesn’t look good for the silver and black.
But just when things appear darkest for the Raiders, here comes the cavalry, charging over the hill.
OK, so it’s a one-man cavalry. But to the Raiders right now, that one man looks like the Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill.
After all, this is Bo Jackson, who appeared in only 7 games last season as a part-time performer, but still managed to turn in the greatest single rushing performance in Raider history. That was in a Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks when he rushed for 221 yards, including a 91-yard run for a touchdown.
Jackson is due to report to the Raiders for his first practice session Wednesday after taking a brief vacation following his season as a Kansas City Royals outfielder.
This football business may be a hobby to him, but to the Raiders, winners of just 2 of 6 games, he looks like a traveling salvation show.
Their running game, which has yet to get off the ground this season, has been further weakened by the loss of Marcus Allen. Allen, suffering from a broken bone in his left wrist and a badly lacerated left hand, didn’t play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and remains questionable for next week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen, in a lot of pain, is further hampered by the cast on his left hand, which makes it difficult for him to grip the ball.
“There’s a good chance he will play Sunday,” Raider Coach Mike Shanahan said of Allen. “We are just going to have to find out how comfortable he is gripping the ball. At the same time, we’re going to have to see if we can cut down on his cast. Marcus is the type of person who is going to play if he can play. But he doesn’t want to hurt our chances of winning if he’s not ready to play.”
There seems to be no question Jackson will play Sunday. The only question, in his case, is how much? And that will be answered by how quickly he can learn the new offense Shanahan has installed. It’s more than just handing Jackson the ball and telling him to stay away from the guys in the red uniforms.
“The running game is very similar (to the one used last season),” Shanahan said. “We kept a lot of the terminology the same. Maybe in a few formations, there is a little change, but I think he’ll pick that up right away. The passing attack is somewhat different.
“It will be a learning process. Even if you kept the offense all the same, any time you’re away from it for about 6 months, I think you forget a lot. You’ve got to come in and refresh your memory. Bo learns quick, so I’m looking forward to getting him in and getting started.”
Definitely not playing Sunday, according to Shanahan, is defensive end Howie Long, who strained his right calf muscle in the Dolphin game. His spot will be taken by Greg Townsend.
When he first began to brief the press on the Raiders’ injured players, Shanahan had no problem ad libbing the status report. These days, there are so many players hurt, he has to carry around a written list.
As of Monday, that list included: tight end Todd Christensen (out for at least another week with a tear above the knee), defensive backs Stacey Toran (out with a sprained ankle) and Terry McDaniel (out with a broken leg), defensive back Eddie Anderson (questionable with a strained elbow) and 4 players (receiver Willie Gault, bruised shoulder; linebacker Jerry Robinson, strained back muscle; offensive lineman Bruce Wilkerson, strained tricep; and defensive lineman Mike Wise, lower back injury) listed as probable for Sunday.
Defensive back Lionel Washington, out with a groin pull, will practice this week to see if he is ready to return. Offensive linemen Don Mosebar and Bill Lewis, both suffering from sprained ankles, reported tenderness after playing against the Dolphins, but both will be back in against the Chiefs.
After running down the list of injured following Sunday’s game, team doctor Robert Rosenfeld grimaced a bit before adding, “Sounds like a M*A*S*H* unit, doesn’t it?”
Raider Notes
Today is the trading deadline, but Mike Shanahan said he envisions no late moves by the Raiders. . . . The much-maligned Raider offensive line appears to have stabilized. In the 3 games since the Rams sacked quarterback Steve Beuerlein 9 times, the Raiders have allowed a total of just 5 sacks, including 2 Sunday by the Dolphins. . . . On the other side of the ledger, however, Sunday’s game was the second in a row in which the Raiders have failed to record a sack.