Raiders Display Positives, Negatives

Is there any good reason to think the Raiders could be any good? Have we seen anything in their four exhibition games to make us believe Los Angeles will win as many National Football League games this season as Sacramento will? Is it possible that the Raiders are playing possum, that these guys are actually much better than they look?

Yes and no.

Yes. Because the Raiders put 38 points on the board Saturday against the Chicago Bears, who are not exactly the Monsters that they used to be, but who are not exactly the Munsters, either.

No. Because the Raiders put 41 points on Chicago’s side of the board Saturday, which may have been a better job defensively than New England did on the Bears in Super Bowl XX, but was still crummy enough that even Mike (See No Evil, Hear No Evil) Shanahan actually criticized his own team, saying the Bears “dominated” his defense and “ran at will.”

Yes. Because even though the Raiders are 0-4, they get to play the Jim McMahon and San Diego McChargers next week, so they might be 1-0.

No. Because even the McChargers might be better than the Raiders this season, now that they have McMahon and now that their defense looks solid enough to hold the Raiders under 38 points.

Yes. Because Marcus Allen is coming back, as of the season opener.

No. Because Marcus Allen is more ready and willing than he is able, probably.

Yes. Because Bo knows football.

No. Because Bo knows baseball, too, and so do the 23 other guys on his team, who might keep Bo out of football until November.

Yes. Because a whole bunch of Raiders have been hurt and haven’t played much, if at all.

No. Because a whole bunch of healthy Raiders couldn’t beat a whole bunch of unhealthy other teams.

Yes. Because Jay Schroeder finally put on a passing show Saturday, firing the ball on the money to Swervin’ Mervyn Fernandez and Willie the Thrillie Gault.

No. Because Jay Schroeder can’t throw from his back, and the Raider offensive line is pretty offensive.

Yes. Because the Raider crowd doesn’t boo the quarterback the way it once did.

No. Because there is no Raider “crowd” the way there once was.

Yes. Because Bill Lewis probably will come back this week to bulk up that offensive line.

No. Because Bill Lewis probably will be about as ready to step right in and play as Marcus Allen is.

Yes. Because this new defensive system that the Raiders have installed could eventually keep most of their opponents well under 40 points.

No. Because, as Mike Haynes said Saturday, there are “a lot of the new players out there ‘thinking’ on the field on defense instead of doing things naturally, because they’re still not used to the new system.”

Yes. Because “next week is the real deal,” as Greg Townsend pointed out, and because nothing the Raiders have done so far--”nothing” being an accurate description here--will count against the Raiders in the NFL real-deal standings.

No. Because “yes, it does” concern the Raiders, Townsend said, that they finished the exhibition season 0-4 for the first time since he’s been with them, and because “We would have liked to win at least one, just to remember how it feels.”

Yes. Because there is no way the Raiders can go winless this season, no matter how hard they try, and because there is no good reason to, Troy Aikman having graduated.

No. Because they have road games at the New York Giants (ow), at the New York Jets (ow), at Philadelphia (double ow), at the Houston House of Pain (ow, ow, ow) and home games against Washington (quadruple ow) and against Cincinnati (oooh, Ickey.)

Yes. Because the Raider secondary still believes it “can be the best secondary in the National Football League,” Mike Haynes said, particularly with Lionel Washington and Terry McDaniel moving in as the cornerbacks.

No. Because the Raider secondary might not be the same without Mike Haynes, who, at 36, is trying to hang on, and didn’t help himself much Saturday by getting burned by a big Bear bomb. “Pressure? Me? Pressure?” Haynes joked. “I can’t say I felt any more pressure than I do usually. It was just a great catch on the guy’s part, and I hope it doesn’t carry a lot of weight on my position with the team.”

Yes. Because the Raiders do have some good-looking younger guys.

No. Because the Raiders might have to get rid of their older guys to make room for their good-looking younger guys.

Yes. Because the Raiders have a proud past, proving themselves to be capable of almost anything.

No. Because the Raiders have a bright future, one that unfortunately will begin in another decade in another ZIP code.