Struggling Raiders Seek an About-Face

For more than three decades, any television director working any Raider game, either Oakland or Los Angeles variety, knew his priorities: Zero in on the line of scrimmage. Focus on the quarterback. Find Al Davis.

In good times and bad, the Raider owner, usually seated in the press box, could be counted on to mirror the team’s fortunes on his face.

In recent seasons, the camera has found a new favorite face, Coach Jon Gruden’s. His emotional highs and lows entertain millions.

And more recently, yet another face has come to symbolize Raider fortunes, fullback Jon Ritchie’s. Because of a cut that won’t heal on the bridge of his nose and small nodules on his forehead--”Those are horns growing out of my head,” he says--Ritchie’s face grows bloodier as the game progresses.

And what better picture could the camera find these days to tell the Raider story?

Heading into today’s wild-card playoff game at Oakland’s Network Associates Coliseum against the New York Jets, the same team that beat them there in last weekend’s regular-season finale, the Raiders are a team in search of a way to stop the bleeding.

Was it really only a month ago that the Raiders were handing out the punishment? Surrounded by silver-and-black loyalists who had packed San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, the Raiders beat the Chargers and won the AFC West title. That boosted Oakland to 10-3 and last season’s elimination in the AFC championship game by the Baltimore Ravens was only a memory.

But since, history appears to be repeating itself. The Raiders lost three in succession and three of their last four at home, after having won 10 straight in Oakland, and questions have arisen:

* Can the Raiders run the ball effectively?

Oakland ranks 24th in rushing offense, so this has been a questionable area all season. But it’s even more questionable now because a foot injury has cost leading rusher Charlie Garner practice time. Limited playing time by Garner would be a double liability for the Raiders because he is also an effective receiver, having caught 72 passes. If Garner can’t carry a full load, Oakland will have to fall back on Tyrone Wheatley, who has had a so-so season.

* Does Sebastian Janikowski have his act together?

The Raiders’ wild and crazy kicker would have fit in perfectly with “the Snake” (Ken Stabler), “the Tooz” (John Matuszak), “the Mad Stork” (Ted Hendricks) and some of the other characters who have worn the silver and black. But on game day, those guys produced.

Janikowski sat out last week’s game because, the Raiders said, of cellulitis in his foot. No one is saying that wasn’t really the problem, but any guy who has been involved in bar fights, drug busts and allegations of bribery of a police officer is going to have to expect some raised eyebrows when he doesn’t suit up.

Oakland certainly needs him. Last week’s replacement kicker, Brad Daluiso, missed an extra-point attempt and a 28-yard field-goal try in the 24-22 loss to the Jets.

* Do the Raiders lack discipline?

Their quarterback, Rich Gannon, said they did after a recent loss. His remarks were not well received by some teammates and coaches.

“Everybody says things when you lose,” Oakland tight end Roland Williams said. “You get pretty emotional after a loss and that is probably not the best time to say things.”

The Jets, 10-6 as are the Raiders, can draw little solace from the problems in Raiderland. They have their own:

* Beating a team twice in a week is tough. Beating a team twice in a week on its own turf is, well, the word “improbable” may not be strong enough.

* And beating that team after having spent nearly as much time traveling as practicing during the intervening week? We shall see.

With only six days separating Sunday’s New York victory from today’s game, the Jets, in hindsight, would have been smarter to stay on the West Coast. But it wasn’t until the Baltimore Ravens had beaten the Minnesota Vikings in the Monday night game that the Jets knew they would have a return match in Oakland.

And they weren’t willing to gamble on it. Instead, they took a red-eye flight back to New York, arriving in the wee hours of Monday morning, took Monday off, practiced Tuesday and Wednesday, practiced early Thursday and then took a charter back to Oakland. With a 5p.m. start, expect the weary Jets to be sleeping in today.

The Jets insist their focus hasn’t wavered. They just keep looking at the prominently displayed trophy from New York’s victory in Super Bowl III.

“You see that trophy 15 times a day,” running back Curtis Martin said. “It’s a reminder of what we’re after.”

The Raiders have had their own reminder this week: Sunday’s game film.

“We have left ourselves a lot of room for improvement,” Ritchie said. “We are laying in wait in the bushes, waiting to spring out and surprise some folks because we have performed at a subpar level. That leaves you with a lot of residual anger.”

And one more shot at the Jets.

“We have another at-bat,” Gruden said.

But the struggling Raiders are down to their last strike.