It's time for Russell to play
By Ailene Voisin - [email protected]
Published 12:00 am PST Monday, November 5, 2007
OAKLAND – Josh McCown isn't going to get it done. It just isn't going to happen. Not while Tom Brady is choreographing fourth-quarter comebacks, clusters of empty seats in McAfee Coliseum ensure another television blackout, the Raiders absorb another pummeling, the boo birds are dropping hints all over the place ... and JaMarcus Russell is in the building.
He's big, he's strong, he's young.
He's being paid the big bucks.
He's probably not ready, but, hey, neither are the Raiders.
After this latest less-than-virtuoso performance, and specifically the efforts of the journeyman quarterback Lane Kiffin undeniably prefers over former All-Pro veteran Daunte Culpepper (1-3 in his four starts), even the hyper-cautious rookie coach is finally, admittedly, tempted to make the much-discussed, long-awaited quarterback move.
"I think about playing JaMarcus all the time," a surprisingly candid Kiffin revealed after McCown tossed three interceptions in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Houston Texans. "I thought about playing him when we were down 14."
The vibes around here definitely are changing. You can hear it in the interview room, hear it from the fans. Everyone is getting restless. The question Raiders fans have been asking since the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Russell ended his holdout and joined his teammates shortly into the regular season – when will the NFL's No. 1 draft pick make his professional debut? – appears on the verge of being answered, for several reasons.
The Raiders are 2-6, which suggests they remain firmly ensconced in rebuilding mode, not leaping toward respectability. The quarterback shuttle between McCown and Culpepper has resulted in more boos than applause, and while minimizing the pressure on the unproven but highly regarded rookie, only delays the inevitable. At this point, leaving Russell on the sideline is pretty much a waste of everyone's time and an immense squandering of Al Davis' money.
It's time. The game plan that seemed the most reasonable when Russell signed 10 days into the regular season – be patient while McCown and/or Culpepper direct an improving, evolving product – needs dramatic tinkering. Instead of hurtling toward respectability, the Raiders are replaying their horrendous 2006 season. Art Shell? Tom Walsh? All those wisecracks about the former offensive coordinator and his previous job running a bed-and-breakfast joint in rural Idaho? Well, Shell and Walsh are gone, and the Raiders own the same record they did on this same date a year ago. If this is progress, it isn't convincing a significant percentage of a fan base that either stayed home to catch the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning showdown or showed up Sunday and verbally beat up on McCown.
Given his starting job back after his four-game injury absence, McCown, who in terms of popularity ranks well below Russell and Culpepper, provided abundant fodder for his critics. He was intercepted twice in the opening half, on a ball deflected at the line of scrimmage and on a badly underthrown pass to Ronald Curry. By then, the crowd was booing McCown every time he walked onto the field, and the first unofficial chants of "Russ-ell, Russ-ell" were recorded with the Raiders trailing 14-0 and 4:02 remaining until halftime.
"They (fans) pay their money," said a dejected McCown, who completed 13 of 28 passes for 158 yards and threw his third interception in the fourth quarter. "They can do what they want. This is my job, so as bad as the fans feel right now, as much as they hate me and everybody else, they don't understand how I feel. It's a sick, hurt feeling I can't describe."
McCown looked worse than he sounded, if that were even possible, and Kiffin must have noticed. Asked if he intended to start the six-year veteran next Sunday against the Chicago Bears, he evaded the question.
"I thought Josh didn't protect the ball as well as we'd like him to," Kiffin said. "As far as throwing the ball, he was forcing the ball a little bit. ... We'll go back and look at the film."
Interpretation? He's torn, he's tempted.
He's thinking about Russell.
"You've got to make sure JaMarcus is ready to play," the coach continued, thoughtfully. "This is our franchise. This is a guy you give a lot of money to, picking him first overall. You better make sure you have the right stuff around him, that he's ready to play, that he knows what he's doing. You don't want to have to rebuild him. This is a guy who's not used to losing, not used to an offense not playing well around him. ... We'll keep pushing him. He'll play when he's ready to play."
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story
By Ailene Voisin - [email protected]
Published 12:00 am PST Monday, November 5, 2007
OAKLAND – Josh McCown isn't going to get it done. It just isn't going to happen. Not while Tom Brady is choreographing fourth-quarter comebacks, clusters of empty seats in McAfee Coliseum ensure another television blackout, the Raiders absorb another pummeling, the boo birds are dropping hints all over the place ... and JaMarcus Russell is in the building.
He's big, he's strong, he's young.
He's being paid the big bucks.
He's probably not ready, but, hey, neither are the Raiders.
After this latest less-than-virtuoso performance, and specifically the efforts of the journeyman quarterback Lane Kiffin undeniably prefers over former All-Pro veteran Daunte Culpepper (1-3 in his four starts), even the hyper-cautious rookie coach is finally, admittedly, tempted to make the much-discussed, long-awaited quarterback move.
"I think about playing JaMarcus all the time," a surprisingly candid Kiffin revealed after McCown tossed three interceptions in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Houston Texans. "I thought about playing him when we were down 14."
The vibes around here definitely are changing. You can hear it in the interview room, hear it from the fans. Everyone is getting restless. The question Raiders fans have been asking since the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Russell ended his holdout and joined his teammates shortly into the regular season – when will the NFL's No. 1 draft pick make his professional debut? – appears on the verge of being answered, for several reasons.
The Raiders are 2-6, which suggests they remain firmly ensconced in rebuilding mode, not leaping toward respectability. The quarterback shuttle between McCown and Culpepper has resulted in more boos than applause, and while minimizing the pressure on the unproven but highly regarded rookie, only delays the inevitable. At this point, leaving Russell on the sideline is pretty much a waste of everyone's time and an immense squandering of Al Davis' money.
It's time. The game plan that seemed the most reasonable when Russell signed 10 days into the regular season – be patient while McCown and/or Culpepper direct an improving, evolving product – needs dramatic tinkering. Instead of hurtling toward respectability, the Raiders are replaying their horrendous 2006 season. Art Shell? Tom Walsh? All those wisecracks about the former offensive coordinator and his previous job running a bed-and-breakfast joint in rural Idaho? Well, Shell and Walsh are gone, and the Raiders own the same record they did on this same date a year ago. If this is progress, it isn't convincing a significant percentage of a fan base that either stayed home to catch the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning showdown or showed up Sunday and verbally beat up on McCown.
Given his starting job back after his four-game injury absence, McCown, who in terms of popularity ranks well below Russell and Culpepper, provided abundant fodder for his critics. He was intercepted twice in the opening half, on a ball deflected at the line of scrimmage and on a badly underthrown pass to Ronald Curry. By then, the crowd was booing McCown every time he walked onto the field, and the first unofficial chants of "Russ-ell, Russ-ell" were recorded with the Raiders trailing 14-0 and 4:02 remaining until halftime.
"They (fans) pay their money," said a dejected McCown, who completed 13 of 28 passes for 158 yards and threw his third interception in the fourth quarter. "They can do what they want. This is my job, so as bad as the fans feel right now, as much as they hate me and everybody else, they don't understand how I feel. It's a sick, hurt feeling I can't describe."
McCown looked worse than he sounded, if that were even possible, and Kiffin must have noticed. Asked if he intended to start the six-year veteran next Sunday against the Chicago Bears, he evaded the question.
"I thought Josh didn't protect the ball as well as we'd like him to," Kiffin said. "As far as throwing the ball, he was forcing the ball a little bit. ... We'll go back and look at the film."
Interpretation? He's torn, he's tempted.
He's thinking about Russell.
"You've got to make sure JaMarcus is ready to play," the coach continued, thoughtfully. "This is our franchise. This is a guy you give a lot of money to, picking him first overall. You better make sure you have the right stuff around him, that he's ready to play, that he knows what he's doing. You don't want to have to rebuild him. This is a guy who's not used to losing, not used to an offense not playing well around him. ... We'll keep pushing him. He'll play when he's ready to play."
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story
