Raiders : They’re Still Running in the Western .500

It’s midseason for the Raiders, and one they won’t soon forget. If most of the memories could have been a little happier, they still can dream.

How?

Dream along with them:

--This “race” just won’t go away.

The Raiders (3-5) are still a single game behind the Broncos and Seahawks, both 4-4, in the once-proud AFC West. The Raiders have a 3-0 division mark, besides.

They will play 3 late games with the Broncos and Seahawks, so if they can stay within striking distance, they will at least retain that much discussed “control of their own destiny.”

--The schedule now affords them a chance to regroup.

They play host to the Kansas City Chiefs (1-6-1) this week, then play at San Diego (2-6) the week after. After that, they will play the 49ers in San Francisco, a weightier challenge, and return home to play the Atlanta Falcons (1-7).

All these games will be on grass fields, no small comfort for a team with as many injured players as this one has, and which hates artificial turf in any case.

After the Falcons comes the final push: at Seattle, at home against the Broncos, at Buffalo, at home against the Seahawks.

--They should begin getting most of their injured back.

Stacey Toran is expected to play Sunday, after a 2-week absence, and Coach Mike Shanahan is hoping to get rookie cornerback Terry McDaniel back for the Chargers. If so, it would enable the Raiders to put their first-string secondary on the field for the first time since the opener. When Howie Long comes back--it isn’t expected to be this week--it’ll be the first time since the opener that all 11 defensive starters have been on the field.

--The defense is showing glimmers.

The switch from the 3-4 to a 4-3 as a base alignment has helped. There was much consternation after the Cincinnati wipeout at the inability to pressure Boomer Esiason. Al Davis is reported to have held what is described as an angry meeting with the coaching staff that night.

The switch from a 3-man front frees Bill Pickel from the nose position, for which, at 6 feet 5 inches, he is somewhat ill suited in the first place, most of the good nose tackles being human fireplug types.

Without Long, the Raiders stuffed a good New Orleans running attack in Sunday’s first half--38 yards in 14 carries. They sacked Bobby Hebert, who had been down just 9 times all season, twice before halftime. Then Craig Heyward broke enough tackles and stepped on enough defensive backs to turn things around.

Also, the secondary has played OK, notably Ron Fellows, the waived and re-signed substitute for rookie Dennis Price who was trying to fill in for McDaniel.

--The offense has possibilities. Doesn’t it?

Well, doesn’t it?

First, though, it has to get its quarterback going.

Jay Schroeder led the Raiders to that incredible comeback in Denver in his first start. In his second and third games, however, he threw 8 interceptions. In his fourth and fifth, he completed 12 of 37 passes, and was relieved twice.

He looks as if he has shaky command of the offense and he concedes an accompanying loss of confidence. The Raiders might have hoped for more but whether they had any right to expect it--starting quarterbacks are almost never brought in after the start of camp, much less after a season’s start--is another question.

“Jay’s in a situation now that’s tough,” Shanahan said Monday. “He’s come in without training camp. He’s come in without getting a lot of practice time in the (Redskin) training camp he was in.

“It’s a combination of things--coming in here, a different system, different terminology, getting your arm in shape.

“I have the utmost confidence in Jay but it’s a situation I’ve never been in.”

In sum, it’s all a situation he’s never been in, but then you have to start somewhere if you want to succeed Vince Lombardi.

Raider Notes

Odd man out when the Raiders go to their 4-man defensive front? Veteran linebacker Rod Martin, who was on the sidelines for most of Sunday’s game. . . . Howie Long is still listed as doubtful with a calf injury. Todd Christensen will practice lightly, and is listed as questionable. . . . You had to see ‘em to believe ‘em Sunday: Mervyn Fernandez made another circus catch on a 49-yard play to go with his 85-yard scoring play. Marcus Allen, broken wrist and all, ran for 102 yards and a 5.1 average, his first 100-yard rushing day since the opener against the Green Bay Packers last season.