It Wasn’t Supposed Happen--Schroeder, No. 2, Again

As the mass of reporters, satisfied with answers, finally started drifting away from Jay Schroeder in the locker room at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium Sunday, one said, “Maybe he should have played baseball.”

Schroeder heard the comment, but he simply shrugged it off.

These are tough times for Jay Schroeder, quarterback of the Los Angeles Raiders and a former member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Thirteen months ago, he became a former Washington Redskin, traded to the Raiders in exchange for offensive tackle Jim Lachey and some draft choices. He has started all seven Los Angeles games this season, four of which were losses.

Raiders fans are on his back, Coach Art Shell is one of the critics and second-year understudy Steve Beuerlein is ready for another shot at the No. 1 job.

Wednesday, Beuerlein replaced Schroeder as the starting quarterback, so Schroeder may not be playing Sunday against the Redskins.

Schroeder, 28, has completed 70 of 144 passes for 1,145 yards and six touchdowns with eight interceptions this year. But, in the last two games, he was just 12 of 38 for 174 yards with two interceptions.

Beuerlein was called upon in the second half of both games and completed 6 of 13 passes for 90 yards and also had two intercepted.

“Steve gives us a lift,” Shell said. “He’s a very bright guy, a very competitive young man. I felt the team was moving (when Beuerlein relieved Schroeder against the Eagles Sunday). He’s a fiery guy.”

Schroeder said, “I struggled throwing the ball a little bit, and the offense struggled the last couple of weeks. If an offense struggles, it’s always been the coach or the quarterback. This year, it’s been both. You try to analyze it, it can make you crazy.

“I still have confidence in myself that I can get the job done and can lead this team,” he said. “I’m not giving up. I’ll come out here and work just as hard and be ready if I get an opportunity to play. I would have liked to have played against the Redskins. I might still get that chance.”

But this wasn’t supposed to happen to Schroeder. Not again.

The benchings were to end after Schroeder complained to Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs and to anybody else who would listen about playing behind the Redskins’ Doug Williams. Schroeder asked to be traded, and the Redskins obliged by sending him to Los Angeles.

It was going to be a new start, a homecoming for Schroeder, who had played two years at UCLA, 1979 and 1980. And the Raiders were supposed to be only a quarterback away from the playoffs.

They had their own collection of Heisman winners in Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson and Tim Brown. All that was needed was another Daryle “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica at quarterback, and who better fit the description then Schroeder, who had a similar cannonlike arm?

Schroeder just had to beat out rookie Beuerlein.

“That was one part of the job I didn’t like,” said Schroeder. “Here I was in Washington complaining about not playing, and I was trying to put a kid in a similar situation. But this was a fresh start and what I wanted.”

Replacing Beuerlein turned out to be the easy part.

“Jay came in with a lot of pressure on him,” said Raiders defensive tackle Howie Long. “He was surrounded by Willie Gault, Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson and Tim Brown. It seemed like all he had to do was spread the ball around. He was supposed to be the missing link.

“But (former Raiders coach) Mike Shanahan had a complicated offensive scheme. It took Jay a while to learn it. Now, he has another coach. And it’s back to learning again.”

Schroeder really didn’t become the starter until the fourth game last season, replacing Beuerlein as the Raiders struggled to a 1-2 start. Schroeder won his starting debut, as the Raiders beat the Denver Broncos, 30-27.

Sound familiar?

His career took off dramatically with the Redskins in 1985, when he replaced injured Joe Theismann against the New York Giants. One year later, Schroeder was playing in the Pro Bowl after passing for a club-record 4,109 yards.

But there has been no fantasy ending with the Raiders. After his first start, the quarterback position became a revolving door.

Schroeder started eight games, but went only 2-3 before he was getting relief from Beuerlein, having completed 41.2 percent of his passes and seven of his last 27.

Beuerlein then returned as the starter for a three-game winning streak followed by two straight losses. Beuerlein finished 105 of 238 for 1,643 yards last season, and Schroeder completed 113 of 256 passes for 1,839 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Raiders ended the season with a 7-9 record and a quarterback duel.

Schroeder won the right to start again this season, but ...

“I made the decision (to replace) more so because I thought Jay was pressing a little bit, trying to do too much so his play became bad,” said Shell. “I took the Redskins out of the picture. I took everyone else out of the picture except this team. Jay’s a veteran. The same thing happened last year. He helped Steve out the best he could. He kept his head in the game.”

“You can let one play affect you, or half a season, or a whole season,” said Schroeder. “There have been guys who they said had an off year, then come back to have great seasons. You’re disappointed, of course, and I wanted to play better. I’m sure the whole offense wanted to play better. We just haven’t played very well.”