Raiders Back After Slow Start : Defense Is Key as Flores Alters Game Plans to Win

Midseason is drawing near and the Raiders, 4-3 after a 0-3 start, are hauling another one back from the dumper.

How?

Pretty much the same way they did it last season. A year ago, with a starting quarterback down, and the No. 2 wobbling on a bad knee, and the No. 3 being readied to become the franchise’s first rookie starting quarterback, they went basic and gave the ball to Marcus Allen all season. The coaching staff even began calling the plays.

This season, they tried to open up and bring back the bomb. It was deemed a great success when they scored 36 points in the opener at Denver but less satisfactory in the two weeks that followed when they didn’t score any touchdowns.

With Allen out and Napoleon McCallum, more a fullback type of tailback, subbing for him, they went back to hammering inside the tackles, which is what their venerable offensive line does best, anyway. They even mixed in some short patterns for the wide receivers.

Tom Flores has been second-guessed for sitting on leads the last two weeks, but he’s playing to his defensive unit, the strength of his team.

The old Al Davis boast--”Some people take what the defense gives them, we take what we want”--has been put aside for the moment. This edition seems to operate best when it keeps its demands reasonable.

Where has the comeback put them?

If the season was over, the Raiders would be in a four-way tie for the last wild-card playoff berth, with the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, all 4-3.

However, the Raiders would beat any of the three on tiebreakers.

They have beaten the Chiefs in their first meeting and will play them once more. The Raider record in the AFC West is 3-1, to Kansas City’s 1-2.

The Raiders have a better AFC Conference record than either the Browns or Patriots. The Raiders are 4-1, the Patriots are 4-3 and the Browns are 3-2.

Of the three, the Patriots figure to be the team to watch. They have five remaining games on the road--Buffalo, Indianapolis, the Rams at Anaheim, New Orleans and Miami. As things are now, they’d probably be the favored to win four. The Patriots have home games against the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, of which they would probably be favored in two or three.

As things stand now, the Raiders will probably be favored in six or seven of their final nine games. They’ll probably be underdogs at Dallas and at Seattle. They play the Denver Broncos here in two weeks, and the favorite depends on what happens between now and then.

Raider Notes Released, in what is becoming a weekly ritual, was defensive end Elvis Franks. He was re-signed to take Greg Townsend’s place against the Seahawks, cut when Townsend’s suspension was suspended, and signed once more when Townsend was suspended again. . . . Roy Foster, the ex-Trojan lineman who plays for the Miami Dolphins, visited Marcus Allen after the game and, mimicking the reporters around Allen, asked “Mr. Allen, what do you think of the future of the Dolphins and the Trojans?” Answered Allen, laughing: “Well, as far as the Trojans, we all know it’s this”--and he made a diving motion with his hand. . . . Said Foster later: “Marcus didn’t answer the Dolphin part of that question. Guess he’s too nice a guy.” . . . Sam Seale, who made his first start as a defensive back, subbing for Mike Haynes: “I knew going in that I might as well paint a big bull’s-eye on my uniform because (Dan) Marino, (Mark) Duper and (Mark) Clayton would all be coming after me. I didn’t exactly shut them down, but I’m still standing. They can beat me up, but they can’t kill me.” . . . In the two weeks since the Kansas City game, the Raiders, who feel they’re being watched closely, have been called for eight penalties for a 50 yards. Said Rod Martin after the Seattle game: “Bob Zeman (linebacker coach) told us he was disappointed in us. We got three penalties all day and none was for unsportsmanlike conduct.” Just a little joke, Al.