They Have to Catch Raiders Now : Pro football: L.A. clinches first playoff berth since 1985 and takes over first place with a 24-7 victory over the Bengals. Jackson makes the big play again.

A backup cornerback without a shoe contract took Bo Jackson down from behind Sunday, turning hordes of fact-finders into part-time genealogists, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Raiders from making quick work of the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-7, or re-introducing themselves to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

For the Raiders, commitment to excellence is reality again after four lost seasons, and the exclamation marking the end of their suffering was cause for celebration before 54,132 at the Coliseum.

The news in Kansas City, where the Houston Oilers upended the Chiefs, made for some nice window dressing. The Raiders didn’t merely clinch at least a wild-card berth with Sunday’s victory, they jumped a full game ahead of Kansas City into first place in the AFC West with two games remaining.

“It’s a great day for the organization, and it’s a great day for this football team,” Raider Coach Art Shell said afterward.

It was, too, another great day for Jackson, who leads the league in news-per-carry. Sunday, it was an 88-yard, third-quarter display during which Jackson started left, changed direction, hurdled quarterback Jay Schroeder, and broke free down the right sideline, with only grass and air separating Jackson from the goal line.

It seemed nothing without a motor would catch Jackson, but Bengal cornerback Rod Jones, subbing for the injured Lewis Billups, stalked Jackson stride for stride and tripped him up at the one-yard line.

“I don’t understand why he didn’t make it to the end zone,” Shell said later. “I told him he must be losing a step.”

Jackson’s run led to a one-yard scoring pass from Schroeder to tight end Ethan Horton with 9:07 left in the quarter, putting the game out of reach at 24-7. The Raiders, in fact, mistakenly issued in the third quarter a news release about the purchasing of playoff tickets. It presumed a Raider victory. Turns out it wasn’t that much of a reach.

Bengal quarterback Boomer Esiason gave it the old college try with a bad groin. He threw a fluky touchdown pass to give his team a quick 7-0 lead, then faded from the scene. Esiason aggravated the injury on a 21-yard scramble in the second quarter and that was pretty much it. Esiason would be removed for good in the third quarter, as Coach Sam Wyche looked ahead to next week’s AFC Central showdown against Houston, which could mean the division title.

“I’m upset,” Wyche said. “I don’t like to lose. But next week is where it’s at.”

So why not sit back and watch a Bo show? Everyone else was.

“Let’s face it,” Esiason said. “He’s probably the world’s greatest athlete. Our defense, I thought, did a whale of a job shutting him down. He just made a great play. He’s just hard to stop.”

Jackson has proved to be quite mortal on most plays, but those 88-yarders tend to boost your average. Jackson gained 117 yards in eight carries against the Bengals. Last week in Detroit, it was 129 yards in 18 carries, which included a 55-yard scoring run. The week before in Denver, it was 117 yards in 13 carries, but 62 of those came on one run for a touchdown.

But what of the man who tracked down Bo Jackson? Actually, Jones entered the contest with all the right credentials for the task. A former first-round draft choice of Tampa Bay who didn’t work out there, Jones was a track star at Southern Methodist University, winning the NCAA 400-meter championship in 1984.

Was it a fair race? Well, Jones had to leap the attempted block of Schroeder before giving chase of Jackson. Jones thought he had a chance.

“I mean, if I didn’t think I could get him, I should have just stopped right then,” Jones said later. “Bo is a fast man. You just have to be a fast man also.”

Jones said he and Jackson chatted briefly after the game.

“He asked did I run him down,” Jones said. “I said I have to do my job, that’s all.”

Jackson seemed happy enough simply to extend one of his two-sport seasons.

“It’s the first playoffs ever in any sport,” he said. “I’m anxious to see what happens.”

The Raiders weren’t thinking playoffs on the first drive, when Esiason drove the Bengals quickly down field and lofted a pass into the end zone that was intended for Eddie Brown. Brown didn’t catch it. Instead, teammate Tim McGee stepped in front and completed a 41-yard scoring play.

You don’t draw them up like that.

The Raiders tied the score late in the quarter on a five-yard scoring pass to the once-forgotten Tim Brown, capping a 27-yard drive that was made possible by linebacker Riki Ellison’s interception of a deflected Esiason pass.

Schroeder and Brown hooked up again in the second quarter on a 44-yard scoring play to put the Raiders ahead for good.

The Bengals threatened only once more, late in the half, but an Esiason pass into a crowded left corner of the end zone was intercepted by cornerback Terry McDaniel.

Jeff Jaeger added a 39-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining to give the Raiders a 17-7 lead at the half.

The Bengals weren’t much of a match, really. Esiason was injured. All-Pro left tackle Anthony Munoz was forced out of the game because of a shoulder sprain. Running back Ickey Woods didn’t carry because of bad ribs, although he did catch a pass for two yards. Cincinnati started without corner Lewis Billups and safety Rickey Dixon because of injuries.

Still, the Bengals pulled out the usual tricks. Twice, they lined Esiason out as a receiver, bad leg and all, using receiver Lynn James as a quarterback in a shotgun formation.

Raider corner Lionel Washington followed Esiason to the flank, not sure what to expect.

Giving up a big play to a one-legged quarterback playing receiver has its obvious drawbacks.

“You look stupid,” Washington said.

Washington didn’t look stupid because Esiason didn’t do anything other than act as a very expensive decoy.

With the playoffs resolved, the Raiders can set their sights higher. Victories over Minnesota and San Diego in the next two weeks and the Raiders win the AFC West title.

It’s not enough being wild cards?

“That’s for the birds,” defensive tackle Bob Golic said. “We’re in control as long as we keep winning. There’s nothing better than opening the paper and seeing ‘Raiders’ on top of the division chart.”

That, or watching Rod Jones chase Bo Jackson.

Raider Notes

After going 20 quarters without a touchdown pass, the Raiders’ Jay Schroeder now has thrown six in the past two weeks. Schroeder completed 10 of 20 passes against Cincinnati for 163 yards and no interceptions. Bengal quarterback Boomer Esiason completed seven of 17 passes for 134 yards before giving way to backup Erik Wilhelm with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Esiason had one touchdown pass and threw two interceptions. . . . Remember Marcus Allen? He carried 14 times for 39 yards.

* TIM BROWN: Forgotten man catches two touchdown passes, giving him three in two games. C15.