ANALYSIS : Trading of Beuerlein Became Signature for Raider Season

As Steve Beuerlein plays on, the Raiders watch from the sideline in street clothes.

Life is funny, isn’t it?

So much has changed since early July, when the Raiders opened training camp with a Super Bowl in their sights. But it was never to be. Blame it on injuries or age or the front-office decision that kicked off the season, Aug. 25, the day Beuerlein was traded to Dallas for a conditional fourth-round draft choice.

The Raiders rarely resembled the 12-4 division champions of 1990.

“We were never running on all cylinders,” Coach Art Shell said Sunday.

The Raiders finished barely above water at 9-8 and closed the season with four consecutive defeats. Their defense collapsed down the stretch. The Raiders led the league in penalties--no surprise there--but most were not of the uneccessary-roughness variety associated with the team.

Most were unforgivable mental errors that destroyed drives and ended a season.

It was appropriate of the season that in the closing minutes of Saturday’s 10-6 loss at Kansas City, a potential winning drive collapsed at the Chiefs’ 24-yard line because of four penalties in a five-play sequence.

“I guess you could say we did self-destruct because we had the penalties,” Shell said. “We have no one but ourselves to blame for that.”

The season opened with one disaster in Houston and closed with another in Kansas City.

The moments and decisions that defined a season:

STEVE BEUERLEIN

The Raiders will never hear the end of this trade, nor should they.

Trading Beuerlein was a mistake, not because he should have been the starter but because he could have been the finisher.

When Jay Schroeder suffered sprained ankles against New Orleans, the Raiders had to turn to rookie Todd Marinovich in crucial games against the Chiefs on consecutive weekends. It was too much to ask of a 22-year-old who took his first professional snap three days before Christmas.

The future is bright with Marinovich, but the Raiders might still be playing with Beuerlein.

The proof is in the playoffs.

INJURIES OR AGE?

The problem in the off-season is trying to determine whether (a) key injuries destroyed Raider chemistry, or (b) the team is growing old.

A case can be made for both arguments. The Raiders have 20 players over 30, which might explain why the team ran out of gas down the stretch. The Raiders gave up 1,500 yards in their last four games but were saddled with key injuries to Bob Golic and Howie Long on the defensive front.

The Raider defense ranked second in the AFC before the Buffalo game on Dec. 8. It finished ninth.

“It has to be a concern,” Shell said. “But what does 30 mean? It seems like when someone reaches the age of 30, the rule of thumb is that he’s too old to play the game. Now if you’re talking 35, 36, 37, yeah. But if you’re talking about guys in the 30 to 33 range, I think the guy can still be very productive in this league.”

It’s a fine line.

“Who wore out?” Shell asked. “I don’t know. Take a look at Bob Golic. You say he’s old (at 34). A guy dived on the back of his leg as he’s starting to run. I don’t think that’s an age factor. That could have happened to (rookie) Nolan Harrison.”

Injuries, a favorite alibi, cannot be ignored in the Raider context:

--The Raiders lost Bo Jackson to a career-ending hip injury.

--In July, rookie Nick Bell suffered a pulled hamstring in a Tokyo exhibition. Later, he would suffer broken ribs against Kansas City.

--Marcus Allen sat out eight games after suffering strained knee ligaments in the first game. Roger Craig, who was brought in as an adjunct to the running game, was forced to carry so much of the load early, he was rendered useless in the end. He did not touch the ball in the final two games.

--The running game never got on track, but it didn’t help that right guard Max Montoya was plagued all season by a groin pull.

The Raiders were never able to control the game or the clock as they had in 1990, putting too much pressure on Schroeder. After posting the best numbers of his career the season before--19 touchdowns and only nine interceptions--Schroeder had 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Bad decision No. 1: The Raiders were leading the AFC champions Buffalo Bills, 27-14, midway through the third quarter at the Coliseum on Dec. 8 when Shell and his coaches decided to protect the lead with a conservative running game. Schroeder, who had thrown 17 times for 182 yards and a touchdown during the first half, was no factor in the second as the Bills’ no-huddle offense mounted a comeback.

Buffalo won in overtime, 30-27. Schroeder threw only four passes during the second half, including overtime. His rhythm destroyed, he saw two of those passes intercepted.

The Raiders haven’t won a game since.

Bad decision No. 2: Starting Marinovich in the first game against Kansas City in favor of Vince Evans was a shrewd move. Because of rare circumstances, the teams were to play each other in consecutive weeks.

Marinovich presented the Chiefs with a different look; he was a left-handed passer with no NFL history. With adrenaline and his natural instincts, Marinovich almost stole the game.

Starting the rookie in Saturday’s game was a mistake. The Chiefs had a week to prepare for Marinovich and the result was four interceptions.

The veteran Schroeder should have started the game. If he faltered, Marinovich could have been brought in at a moment’s notice.

Instead, Marinovich is left with painful memories for the off-season.

“I don’t second-guess myself on that decision to go with Todd Marinovich in that situation,” Shell said. “And I really believe the kid is going to be an outstanding quarterback in the National Football League. He’ll learn from the experience. As bad as things were early in the game, not one time did he seem like he would crack, or break up. He always felt we were going to get it done.”

THE FUTURE

Unless they trade Schroeder, the Raiders will have a quarterback controversy. Schroeder said he doesn’t know what is going to happen.

“I have no idea,” he said after Saturday’s game. “I’m going to get myself healthy, I’m coming back. I haven’t had anyone close the door on me yet.”

Not yet, but it’s clear that Marinovich is the future.

Schroeder had the starting job for almost two seasons without competition, but now finds himself in a fight.

“Every athlete pushes himself,” Schroeder said. “Because you want to get better. But when you have competition, you get an extra push. It’s part of the business. You’ve got to know that going in, and you’ve got to compete every day.”

Shell likes an offense centered on Marinovich, rookie tailback Nick Bell, wide receiver Tim Brown and soon, perhaps, Raghib (Rocket) Ismail. “I don’t think it needs to be torn apart,” Shell said of his team. “There’s a solid base here that we can build from.”

The Raiders still need a linebacker or two to fill the void between a solid defensive front and secondary.

And there is running back Eric Dickerson, who said he has played his last game as an Indianapolis Colt. Dickerson said wants to play for the Raiders.

MVP / OFFENSE

Kicker Jeff Jaeger is the Raiders’ most valuable offensive player, which perhaps is a sad commentary. In three games, he scored all of his team’s points; he won two games on last-second kicks; he made 29 of 34 attempts, and he kicked 27 fewer extra points than Washington’s Chip Lohmiller.

Jaeger was the offense.

MVP / DEFENSE

They said he was finished. They said he wouldn’t last an entire season. They said he couldn’t cover his shadow. The San Francisco 49ers thought they wouldn’t miss him.

They were wrong. Ronnie Lott, 32, turned back the clock and was voted to the Pro Bowl at his third different position. He personally won two games--against the Rams and the Seattle Seahawks--and led the NFL with eight interceptions. He also made his safety sidekick, Eddie Anderson, a better player.

Lott has another year remaining on his contract. Then it’s on to the Hall of Fame.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

--Missing in action: Receiver Willie Gault, who had 50 catches in 1990, finished the season with 20.

--The most intriguing off-season story might be Tim Brown, whose contract expires on Feb. 1. Brown should demand that he be given a fair shot at a starting position.

--This figures to be the end for 35-year-old linebacker Jerry Robinson, who lost his starting position to Winston Moss in training camp and rarely played near the end of the season.

--It will be interesting to see whether the Raiders expose Roger Craig to Plan B free agency. They won’t dare do the same with Ronnie Lott. “We won’t do anything crazy,” Shell said. “We like Roger, and we like Ronnie.”