Big Plays Mean Little for Raiders : Krieg’s 5 Touchdown Passes Give Seahawks a 35-27 Win

Doom, which had recently become an equal-opportunity hazard in the local Dome, found the Raiders after a Monday night-long search that seemed to last longer than that.

Say about a month. In a wild, wild game, the Raiders made a bunch of big plays--enough to lead, 27-21, in the fourth quarter. The problem was, when the Raiders weren’t taking the ball away, the Seahawks were jamming it down their throats--enough to win, 35-27.

The Raiders, by reputation and aspiration a good defensive team, gave up 247 yards on the ground, and not one but two 100-yard games (Curt Warner 130, John L. Williams 105). For variety, they were hit for 5 touchdown passes by plucky little Dave Krieg. If that’s a good defensive team, the standards have dropped.

Meanwhile, the Raider offense, the one that was supposed to be plowing an undermanned opponent under Monday night, started . . . and sputtered. This may have been an improvement over recent games, when it only sputtered, but it was scant consolation.

Steve Beuerlein went 4 for 19, making him 17 for his last 62, and Coach Mike Shanahan finally pulled the plug on him. For the first time since his first-year quarterback reassumed the No. 1 job, Shanahan sent in Jay Schroeder, too late to mean anything but raising the question of who will start next week’s last stand against the Denver Broncos.

“Jay came in and did an excellent job,” Shanahan said.

“I’ll make a decision on that (who will start) later in the week.”

Since Shanahan has never conceded that much before, figure Schroeder.

Thus ended the Raiders’ 3-week tenure as a tied-for-first-place team. They’re 6-7, a game behind the first-place Seahawks and Broncos.

Wasted were all their great moments:

--The Bill Pickel sack of Krieg, producing a fumble that Greg Townsend recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, tying the game, 7-7.

--Mike Haynes stripping Seahawk Steve Largent after a reception on the next play from scrimmage, and Vann McElroy batting the fumble back inbounds so the Raiders could recover it.

--Beuerlein hitting Tim Brown with a 49-yard touchdown pass on the next play to put the Raiders ahead, 14-7.

--The same Tim Brown receiving a kickoff with 29 seconds left in the half and the Seahawks ahead, 21-20, and roaring 95 yards before being dragged to earth, or artificial turf, at the Seahawk 3-yard line. After which Trey Junkin was called for holding, erasing Bo Jackson’s touchdown run, and Shanahan decided to go for the safe field goal and the lead with 9 seconds left . . . and Chris Bahr missed the 31-yarder.

What did these guys do at halftime besides breathe oxygen?

The second half was quieter. Each team had the ball twice without going anywhere, before Krieg, who can be depended on to make something happen for someone , threw an interception to Raider linebacker Reggie McKenzie, who was trailing Williams out of the backfield. Krieg underthrew John L., but was right on the money to McKenzie, who caught the ball and returned it 26 yards to the Seattle 17.

There, with third-and-13, Beuerlein rolled right and gunned a 16-yard pass to the one and only Tim Brown. That was significant because: a) it was Beuerlein’s first completion since the first quarter; and b) it gave the Raiders a first down at the 4.

On the next play, Steve Smith sliced straight up the middle to go into the end zone, and the Raiders were about to lead, 27-21.

How long did it take the Seahawks to catch up?

Well, on their next possession, Krieg hit Brian Blades behind Ron Fellows for 38 yards to the Raider 11 . . . and 2 plays later underthrew a looper, intended for Ray Butler, that Lionel Washington picked off in the end zone.

So they had to wait until they got the ball back, which turned out to be three Raider plays (a Beuerlein pass too high for an open Willie Gault, Marcus Allen running for 2 yards, a Beuerlein incompletion).

The Seahawks got the ball back at their 39 and burned artificial turf in the other direction. Their 61-yard drive included only one pass, Krieg’s screen to Curt Warner for the last 7 yards. Warner and Williams just tore away from Raider tacklers for the other 54.

The next Raider possession ended in Beuerlein’s lob over Marcus Allen to David Hollis, a Seattle nickel back, at the Raider 15. That was precisely the kind of rookie goof Beuerlein had not been making, but it was getting late, he had been chased all day and was being chased again, and there it goes.

The Seahawks threw this one back, Warner fumbling 3 plays later at the Raider 4.

Schroeder was already warming up on the sideline, but Shanahan sent Beuerlein back in.

Beuerlein threw his last incompletion, took his last sack and the Raiders punted.

Seattle’s Bobby Joe Edmonds returned it 18 yards to the Raider 36. Thirty-six yards? A trifle:

Warner gains 11.

Williams gets 1.

Williams gets 4.

Krieg throws to wide receiver Louis Clark for a 20-yard touchdown pass play, which was not only Clark’s first pro score but his first pro reception.

Louis Clark?

In the Pacific Northwest?

What is this, a theme park?

If it is, the Raiders don’t like the theme they’re playing.

Raider Notes

What has happened to Bo Jackson? After getting 25 yards in 9 carries against the Falcons, he had 31 in 13 Monday night. Meanwhile, Marcus Allen had 75 yards in 8 carries. . . . Both Raider safeties were knocked out of the game in the first half, which may have had something to do with Seattle’s rushing walkover. Vann McElroy took a shot to the throat and was replaced by Eddie Anderson. Russell Carter was knocked woozy, although his replacement was the redoubtable Stacey Toran. . . . Tim Brown: 114 yards in 4 receptions, 189 yards in kickoff and punt returns. How great is this guy? . . . Dave Krieg hit five different receivers for touchdowns, including one to Steve Largent, Largent’s first of the season.