Allen’s ’86 Drop-Off Leaves Him Grasping

For Marcus Allen, one-time golden child of the black and silver, the world is upside down. His season ended in a torrent of dropped fumbles, and his name appears in trade rumors.

He had the fumble that lost the Eagle overtime game, the two in his first three carries last week against the Chiefs, plus the two handoffs he couldn’t handle Sunday and the two passes he dropped on the final drive.

How could this have happened to the man who led the National Football League in rushing a year ago? Who has such fantastic hands? Who fumbled three times in 380 carries a year ago?

“You could use all the cliches,” Allen said. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have no luck at all.

“You’re out (he missed the fourth, fifth and eighth games with a badly sprained ankle) and you’re not used to being out. Then you finally get an opportunity to get back in there, and you want to make up for lost time.

“You never regain your form. You’re pressing. You’re used to performing at a certain level. You try to find yourself, recapture that form, and you make mistakes instead. Everything just caves in around you. It was the first time I’ve ever missed games. I’d never played part-time (after his return, he shared time with Napoleon McCallum).

“You play this game long enough, you’ll hear boos. They pay for their ticket, they’re entitled to their say. I’ll be back next year.

“There’s nothing I could do (about trade rumors). If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Right now, I’m just concentrating on playing well, and I didn’t do that. It’s like an avalanche, all caving in.

“Last year, I could do no wrong. This year, I can’t do anything right. You play this this game long enough, that’s going to happen. You have to keep your head up.

“I know I’m a good football player. I’ll bounce back.”

Notes

Todd Christensen caught nine passes to finish with an NFL-high 95. It is also his career high. . . . Sean Jones had two sacks for a season total of 15 1/2. Greg Townsend had one for 11 1/2. Both were career bests. The Raiders had 63, best in the NFL.