PRO FOOTBALL : Reborn Raiders Take On Rebuilt Bills : Things Are Looking Up for Reshuffled Buffalo and New-Look Los Angeles

As if from a dream, or a nightmare, the Raiders have arisen, blinking against the light, ready to find out who they really are.

A team capable of journeying into its personal heart of darkness and routing a contender? Or the guys who ran up five straight double-figure deficits before that?

They’ll find out soon enough, starting today when they take Bo Jackson and the rest of their new-found prosperity out against the improved, young Buffalo Bills at the Coliseum.

Today, there will be matchups you can feel as well as see. The Bills’ defense, which blanked the Miami Dolphins last week and held them to 23 yards rushing, which kept three of the previous five opponents below 100 yards rushing, meets the Raider offense, which ran for 356 yards in the Kingdome.

The Bills have a fabulous rookie, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, second overall pick in the last draft, acquired at great cost--Greg Bell, two No. 1 draft picks and a No. 2--in the Eric Dickerson trade. He lines up alongside their other No. 1 pick, linebacker Shane Conlan, and star defensive end Bruce Smith, first overall pick in the 1986 draft.

You think this team isn’t loaded? Among 22 starters, the Bills have 8 No. 1s, 5 No. 2s and 3 No. 3s.

But the Raiders have the most fabulous rookie of them all, their No. 7 pick, Bo Jackson.

After 221 yards, and 202 in his first 12 carries, and the longest run from scrimmage in the ‘80s, what does he do for an encore?

Just what is his level, anyway?

Remember, even before last Monday night, with no training camp and a late start, knowing only a few plays and behind an offensive line that couldn’t make anything else work, he was averaging 6.2 yards a carry.

Well, this is what the rest of his football career is going to be like: An entire defense that has spent all week worrying about him, overtime.

Buffalo Coach Marv Levy was asked what he thought of Bo’s performance.

“Ho-ly Cow!” Levy said. “I’ll tell you, I watched that Monday night game and I slept with the lights on that night.”

Predictably, mini-cam crews descended upon El Segundo last week from all directions. Jackson even granted a rare midweek interview.

What did he think of all the fanfare?

“I really don’t listen to it,” he said. “Simply because it doesn’t do anything for me to go out and listen to people compliment Bo. Because I’ve still got to go out on the field and prove myself time after time.”

Did he expect to have such an impact?

“I don’t think I’ve made an impact on the Raiders,” he said. “I’m just here to try to contribute what I have to offer, to help the team, that’s all.”

Does Bo have a philosophy?

“Bo’s philosophy is to take life one step at a time, one day at a time, one game at a time,” Jackson said. “And don’t go into this week looking back at what I did Sunday past. Just go out and do what you can do at the present and let everything else take care of itself.”

Does he think he’ll ever hear the last of speculation about which sport he’ll choose?

“I don’t think it’ll ever die down,” he said. “I guess people just use it as a conversation piece. Not saying Bo Jackson is a popular person or anything.”

Of course, when you have already suggested that you might become one of the all-time greats, and a proud organization has hooked its comeback to your star, and your stated position is that you’re leaning toward giving up the sport, there is bound to be some conversation.

The Raiders have handled the discussion in not-uncharacteristic fashion. Al Davis had a team official call the sports editor of a local newspaper--this one--and demand that the reporter covering the team be reassigned immediately.

It could be another year or so before Bo makes up his mind, so the Raiders are just going to have to hold their breath until then. Welcome to the blue, silver and black.

The Buffalo turnaround has happened so fast that veterans such as Jim Kelly--who arrived last season--are almost overshadowed by new arrivals such as Bennett and Conlan.

That is, unless they’re like Kelly and can’t be overshadowed.

A star in the big quarterbacks’ class of ‘83, Kelly was the only one of the six chosen in the first round who went into the United States Football League. By the time that league folded, he was its hottest property, and Raider tongues were hanging out of their mouths. Kelly has a big arm and a gunslinger’s bearing. It was love at first sight.

It seemed to be mutual, too. Kelly wore a Raider cap all around the French Quarter before the ’86 Super Bowl in New Orleans, where he wasn’t likely to pass unnoticed. The Bills, who owned his rights, were suspicious enough to leak the information that they might file a tampering charge, although they never did.

A trade was going to be a little difficult, though. Buffalo fans were basically giving Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson two choices: Sign Kelly or leave town.

Wilson came up with the bucks, Kelly signed, and they’re living happily ever after, at progressively higher altitudes in the standings.

Raider Notes

The Raiders are two-point favorites. . . . Have Raider thoughts turned back to quarterback Kelly Stouffer? A source says they’re still monitoring developments in the impasse between the St. Louis Cardinals and their unsigned No. 1 pick. Meanwhile, Cardinal quarterback Neil Lomax, is having a banner season. Coach Gene Stallings joked recently that the only way he’d want Stouffer is “if he plays defensive tackle.” Stouffer is generally considered at least as good as any quarterback in the next draft, including San Jose State’s Mike Perez, whom the Raiders are reportedly interested in. Stouffer is suing the Cardinals, trying to become a free agent. If he’s unsuccessful in court, the Raiders would have to try to deal for him in the trading period that begins after the Super Bowl. . . . The Raiders will probably start sub cornerbacks Sam Seale and Ron Fellows. Mike Haynes (instep) and Lionel Washington (groin) didn’t practice last week. . . . Cornelius Bennett, who’d have been available to the Rams, had they wanted him in the Eric Dickerson trade, came to the Bills advertised as a Lawrence Taylor who works. Says Coach Marv Levy: “I was asked at the outset, ‘Is this another Lawrence Taylor?’ No, this is Cornelius Bennett. He does work hard. He’s got excellent speed. He ran down Troy Stradford (of Miami) from behind, and I mean, from behind. His speed is great, his explosiveness is great, and I mean, he is a tremendously hard worker. He loves practice.” . . . What has Bennett meant? The rap on the Bill defense used to be, it was Bruce Smith and nothing else. With Bennett there, Shane Conlan was moved from outside linebacker, where he was struggling, to inside, where he has played well. In Bennett’s four games, the Bills’ sack percentage has doubled (Bennett has 3.5), the number of points allowed has been halved, and the team is 3-1. . . . Levy on Jim Kelly: “He’s now reading defenses so well. Last year he was just trying to look for the open guy and zing it in there. He did that pretty good. He’s now reading defenses. He’s very tough-minded. He’s a good leader. He has good confidence. It’s not bravado, it’s not talking himself up.” . . . And John Elway on Bruce Smith: He’s the best defensive lineman we’ve seen in the last couple of years and that includes Howie Long.”