No Title at Stake Against Seattle, Maybe More for Shanahan, Raiders
Among the Raiders, it’s never too early to feel the heat. Coach Mike Shanahan said they had their backs to the wall-- after the opener --and once again, it’s backsides to the bricks.
They take a 1-2 record into today’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, who are also 1-2, meaning that one of these two great division rivals is going to be 1-3, which will be a problem even in the AFC West.
When the Seahawks came to the Coliseum for the regular season finale last season, the AFC West title was on the line and Seattle came away with a 43-37 victory to win its first division championship.
Whether or not it’s deserved, there is already intense speculation about Shanahan’s job stability. Few really know what’s on Al Davis’ mind, but any Raider plummet would need someone to take the fall and Davis isn’t expected to step up and say it’s his fault.
Moreover, the Raiders are still in the soft part of their schedule. Today is the only time in the first six weeks they will be playing a team that had a winning record, 9-7, last season. Since it’s a home game, the Raiders are 1 1/2-point favorites.
However, after the next two games--the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, the Kansas City Chiefs here--the Raider schedule gets meaner: at Philadelphia; Washington and Cincinnati at home; at San Diego; at Houston.
Does Shanahan deserve better?
The Raider decline was well along when he showed up last season. The unit he runs, the offense, has made strides and is farther along than the defense, which has a new coordinator, a new staff, and for the first time in the 1980s, personnel shortcomings.
Disquieting signs continue. On last week’s telecast of the game in Denver, NBC’s Bill Walsh repeatedly wondered out loud if Shanahan hadn’t gotten his first head coaching job at too early an age. Of course, Walsh is another of Al Davis’ confidantes.
For what it’s worth, Shanahan was 35 when Davis hired him. Davis was 34 when the Raiders hired him.
Further decline of the West:
The Raiders aren’t the only division power with problems. The Seahawks went nine quarters this season before ever leading, lost in the Kingdome to the Phoenix Cardinals and needed an upset victory last week at New England to avoid a 0-3 start.
Not that it was any masterpiece, either. The Patriots failed twice on third and one and twice more on fourth and one, running over the same hole, whereupon new owner Victor Kiam braced club official Bucko Kilroy in the press box and was overheard asking, “What kind of . . . idiot is calling that?”
A year ago, the Seahawks won the division title despite ranking No. 26 in rushing defense.
This season, they have managed to climb to No. 14. Now, however, their pass defense has fallen apart. They started the season with a new secondary, including former Ram Johnnie Johnson at safety, but have since waived Johnson.
Before last week’s game, when it rallied, the secondary was known in Seattle as the Four Slices of Toast. Even after a better outing, opposition quarterbacks have combined for a 97.6 rating against them. This would be OK if they were facing Joe Montana every week, but Randall Cunningham, Gary Hogeboom and Tony Eason?
Things could be looking up for the Seahawks, however.
The Boz is gone again.
Once again, Brian Bosworth is on injured reserve with a shoulder problem and once again the team prospers in his absence.
The Seahawks are 12-12 with him over the last three seasons, 5-2 with journeyman Darren Comeaux at his inside linebacker spot. A Seattle TV station recently asked viewers what should be done with Boz and 57% said that their one-time darling should be traded or released. Coach Chuck Knox recently said privately that Bosworth was playing so poorly, he couldn’t believe they made such a mistake.
John L. Williams now splits the carries with Curt Warner but the Seahawks can still run the ball--157 yards at New England--and the Raiders have yet to prove they can stop anyone. They’ve allowed 164.3 yards a game, worst in the league.
Shanahan said he was cheered by the way the defense played in the second, third and fourth quarters at Denver last Sunday, but they’ll have to get it going earlier today, or face the music.
Raider Notes
Raider Coach Mike Shanahan says middle linebacker Jerry Robinson “looks like he’ll be able to play.” It will be the first action for Robinson, who suffered a groin pull early in camp. Newly-signed Ricky Hunley may also play. . . . Raider center Don Mosebar and guard Steve Wisniewski, who were out last week with knee and ankle injuries, respectively, are expected back. Linden King moves into Otis Wilson and Emanuel King’s old outside linebacker spot, and Mike Harden will move up to split time at strong safety with Zeph Lee. . . . The Raiders got hit for 247 yards rushing at the Kingdome last season, as both Curt Warner and John L. Williams went over 100. The Raiders held them to 101 in the division-deciding rematch at the Coliseum, but the Seahawks caught them playing the run and passed them dizzy on first down. Dave Krieg rolled up 410 yards, passed for four touchdowns, and the Seahawks won, 42-37.
