Raiders Get Their Quarterback, Thank Goodness It Isn’t Babe

One look at the quarterback situations of San Diego and Green Bay and suddenly you appreciate just how lucky the two Los Angeles pro football teams are, especially now that the Raiders finally have Jay Schroeder.

The Chargers’ starting quarterback in their season opener Sunday against the Raiders was the sultan of squat, Babe Laufenberg. Babe is the best quarterback ever to have attended Pierce College. Of course, this is roughly the equivalent of being the best figure skater ever to have come from Saudi Arabia.

The Packers’ starting quarterback in their season opener Sunday against the Rams was Somebody, who was later replaced by Somebody Else. If ever two anonymous quarterbacks were quarterbacks on a National Football League team, it was these two dudes. And to think this team cut Marc Wilson. Compared to the two guys who worked Sunday, Marc Wilson is Y.A. bloody Tittle.

Hard to believe that San Diego was once the address of Dan Fouts and Air Coryell, and that Green Bay was home sweet home to Bart Starr. A cardboard cutout of Bart Starr could outplay anybody who has called the Packer signals since.

Still, cheer up, Charger and Packer backers. Things do get better.

Look at what the Rams were able to overcome. The Rams endured the days and nights of Dieter Brock. Quarterbacks came and went. Big names such as Joe Namath, Bert Jones and Vince Ferragamo gave it a shot. And how many Super Bowl trophies have the Rams put into their case? The same number San Diego has, and Buffalo, and Detroit, and Houston. None.

It cost plenty to get Jim Everett from Houston, but it was worth every cent. He has everyone’s confidence now--the team’s, the crowd’s and his own. Everett was excellent in Sunday’s 34-7 victory at Green Bay.

Lest we forget, every good team needs a defense, too, and the Ram defense was superb. Mel Owens and Mike Wilcher, in particular, were everywhere. They had Green Bay’s quarterbacks thinking seriously about the insurance business.

There is nothing, though, quite like having a classy quarterback at the controls of your football team. Everett knows what he is doing. He is no green kid anymore. He is ready to crack the National Football League’s top 10 quarterback ranks. Everett has good enough backs, even without Eric Dickerson, and he has exciting young receivers. Even better, his bosses still have plenty of high draft picks left. Much obliged, Eric.

The Raiders have found their quarterback at last. The Jay Schroeder deal finally happened this morning. Hey, hey, Jay is in L.A.

But do they need him? Well, you make the call. Would you be satisfied with Steve Beuerlein? Do you think he will get nothing but better? Was his effort in Sunday’s 24-13 victory over San Diego enough to convince you that the Raiders need Schroeder about as much as William Perry needs another Twinkie?

Apparently not.

The first quarter of Beuerlein’s first NFL start produced two complete passes. He struggled. When the Raiders pulled out their clever halfback-pass play for the first of what figured to be many times this season, Beuerlein’s little flip to Marcus Allen was so off-target, Allen couldn’t balance himself properly to get off a good throw. Too bad, too, because Marcus might be the team’s best passer. He showed that later, by completing a pass to, of all people, Beuerlein.

The Raiders seemingly were left with seem to have three options:

--Go ahead and go with Beuerlein, counting on him to make constant improvement, remain injury-free and join Tim Brown in giving the Raiders some of that football expertise they obviously received in college from Gerry Faust.

--Or, as soon as Bo Jackson gets back from the baseball wars, stop handing off to Marcus Allen and make him the man who hands off. Make Marcus the quarterback. Beuerlein can back up Tim Brown.

--Or go ahead and put Schroeder right to work this Sunday in the Astrodome against the Oilers. And be sure to thank Jim Lachey on his way out of town for his fabulous one-game Raider career.

Whichever scenario they choose, at least the Raiders will remain better off than the Chargers, who are going nowhere with Laufenberg. He’s a sweet guy, but not the answer. After one quarter Sunday, San Diego had 17 net yards. Preview of coming attractions.

One thing is certain at this point: the Raiders were right not to give Tim Brown to the Redskins to get Schroeder, as once rumored.

Twenty-four hours before the season opener, such a deal did not seem unwise. The Raiders were deep at wide receiver, and Brown seemed expendable. On Sunday, however, Brown returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score, and Willie Gault was on the sidelines, hurting. Amazing how one game can change a guy’s perspective.

From now on it’s Schroeder to Brown and we’ll see you in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Raiders needed Schroeder, because a quarterback makes all the difference. They were a quarterback away from being a very fine team. If they hadn’t gotten one this season, Oakland could have had the whole franchise back.