Raiders to Exhibit New Offense Against 49ers

It’s a brave new world the Raiders are approaching and tonight they tiptoe ashore.

Young Mike Shanahan starts work as their eighth coach, and younger Steve Beuerlein tries to become their latest quarterback as they open the exhibition season against the San Francisco 49ers.

It will be the head coaching debut at any level for Shanahan, 35, the former offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and the University of Florida. For Beuerlein, 23, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, it will be a chance to show he can take this opportunity and run with it.

Vince Evans, who will work the second half, and Jim Plunkett, who will start the Aug. 13 exhibition against the Dallas Cowboys, are still said to be equally in the running, but Raider officials have been talking up Beuerlein all winter, for his strong arm but most of all for his poise.

“I like the fact that he kept his poise under tough circumstances in a hot spot, the most glamorous job in college football (Notre Dame quarterback),” one Raider official said.

And the Raiders’ preference for advancing youth gingerly?

Remember Ken Stabler sitting for three seasons before he played?

Remember Rusty Hilger bombing last season after a two-year apprenticeship?

“If you think he can play,” the official said, “why not find out?”

Two years ago the Raiders, then claiming to be running a quarterback competition, let Hilger work the second half in another exhibition opener here. While the second-team blockers tried to figure out where those red jerseys were coming from, Hilger disappeared under an avalanche of blitzing 49ers, ending whatever suspense remained.

Such opportunities are obviously a mixed blessing. The Raiders have always taken what you might call the long view of the exhibition season, though with a new coach following a 5-10 finish, they can be expected to let it out a little more.

“I feel great about starting,” Beuerlein said. “This is my first real opportunity.”

Does he consider this game his big chance?

“No, all that would do would be to put pressure on myself. I’m just going to try to learn more and more and give 100%.

“If I’m ready, I’m ready. If I’m not, I’m not. But I feel I’m ready.”

If he is, one reason will be because he’s running an offense designed to take pressure off the quarterback--assuming the offensive unit has mastered it.

This is also the eagerly awaited debut of Shanahan’s new scheme, which attempts to re-start a Raider offense that was dead in the water for two seasons, exclusive of Bo Jackson’s appearances.

So it’s goodby to the old scheme: power running and long strikes. Hello multiple formations, short drops, looking shallow first, sprinting out, receivers running over the middle, etc.

However, a Raider is still a Raider. The first play Shanahan’s rookies ran in their scrimmage against the Cowboys was a fly pattern.

Tonight, the situation is set up for the offenses. The 49ers won’t have their starting cornerbacks (holdouts Tim McKyer and Don Griffin) or their top two substitutes there (injured Eric Wright and Tory Nixon.)

“Our secondary has been decimated,” 49er Coach Bill Walsh said.

The Raiders have more than a secondary in trouble. Half their starting defense is missing, due to injuries (Howie Long, Bill Pickel, Lionel Washington, all believed minor), holdouts (Matt Millen, Stacey Toran) and suspension (Greg Townsend).

What the heck, everyone has to start somewhere.

Raider Notes

The 49ers are having a little quarterback competition of their own-- on a little different level. Joe Montana will start and Steve Young will relieve, but Bill Walsh hints daily that change is possible. “Well, we’ve got two people who are vying for a job,” Walsh said last week. (Note his choice of words: vying. He used it twice.) “. . . I can’t really rule out the possibility of Steve playing some football this year. That’s not our philosophy, or the philosophy of most teams, but we do have a great talent there, there’s no question, because he adds such a different dimension with his great running ability and spontaneous plays.” . . . The 49ers reportedly shopped Montana last winter, asking a package from the San Diego Chargers that included linebacker Billy Ray Smith.