Allen Puts Raiders Back in the Running : Who Needs Training Camp? He Rushes for 51 Yards, Gets L.A. Moving on the Ground

Training camp, who needs it?

Certainly not Raider tailback Marcus Allen.

After missing the exhibition season because of a contract dispute, Allen returned to the Raiders and rushed for 51 yards and one touchdown in a 40-14 victory over the San Diego Chargers Sunday at the Coliseum.

Allen appeared fresh because he was spared the agony of two-a-day practices and pounding in exhibition games.

“That’s a great feeling not to get banged up in training camp,” Allen said. “A lot of people don’t realize how difficult training camp and the preseason is.”

Does Allen think his performance proves that training camp is a waste of time?

“Take a look at it,” Allen said with a laugh. “Are there some players that don’t need training camp at all that can come right in and play?”

In the final year of a contract that pays him $1.1 million a season, Allen held out because he wanted to renegotiate his contract.

From the time Allen failed to attend the Raiders’ mini-camp, there was no communication between Allen’s agent, Ed Hookstratten, and Raider owner Al Davis.

Davis asked one of his former players if he thought the Raiders could “win without the great one, number 32.”

“I don’t think we can,” the player told Davis.

Davis replied: “Well, we’ll have to.”

Not quite, as Allen reported last week and was activated Saturday.

The Raider rushing game, which had produced an average of 2.9 yards per carry in the exhibition season, got a boost with his return.

Allen rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries in the first half. Allen did most of the work in the Raiders’ second touchdown drive, gaining 32 yards on six carries in a 78-yard, 15-play drive, which ended with quarterback Steve Beuerlein’s four-yard touchdown pass to Mervyn Fernandez.

On the Raiders’ next drive, Allen scored a touchdown on a one-yard dive.

After twisting his foot, Allen sat out most of the second half, carrying only once.

How did Allen assess his first game?

“I felt pretty good in the first half,” Allen said. “I was a little tired in the second half. I guess I was kind of stubborn. I wanted to stay in and see what else I could do.

“There’s no doubt I’ll be sore tomorrow. But that’s to be expected. It’s like the first day of training camp when everyone’s sore. I just happened to have my training camp here in the first game.”

Although Allen appeared to be in good shape, he said he is not in football shape yet.

“I’m not even in game shape,” Allen said. “The difficult thing is that the intensity level rises and the pace is a lot faster (in games) so you tend to get tired a little quicker than you normally would, but once you’re out there it’s OK. I’m not in bad shape but I’m not in great shape.”

The Raiders weren’t surprised that Allen ran so well despite missing the exhibition season.

“Marcus is the most valuable part of this team in ways you can’t even describe,” Beuerlein said. “He showed it today in that first half. He turned no-gain plays into big-gain plays. He saw every possible crack in the line. Any seam that was there, he found. He’s just of incredible value to this team. We need him out on the field.”

Said Raider Coach Mike Shanahan: “I thought Marcus did an excellent job. You’ve always got that question mark if a person is not practicing if he’ll able to go out there and hold onto the football. And he did that. I was pleased with the effort and the way he handled himself.”

And from Charger Coach Dan Henning: “I thought he played well. He’s probably got fresh legs (because he missed training camp). He’s always been a good player. And he’s in the same system he was in last year. He’s a smart guy and he played well.

“But he wasn’t the only guy that ran the ball well. Their offensive line did a good job.”

After averaging 57 yards on the ground in the exhibition season, the Raiders amassed 160 yards rushing against the Chargers. Running back Steve Smith gained 42 yards on 12 carries and Vance Mueller had 29 yards on 10 carries, including a one-yard touchdown.

Smith and Mueller said having Allen back helped open the Raider rushing game.

“I love having Marcus back,” Smith said. “He’s a great player. He just has the leadership that we need. Everybody plays harder when he’s in there. He’s a great asset to this team.”

Mueller said: “Marcus is probably the best in the league. For him to just come in there and do that, I don’t think that’s exceptional. He’s that type of professional that he’s going to be able to put on a performance like that.”

After the Raiders had their first winless exhibition season in club history, Allen said winning the season opener was a morale booster.

“This was definitely a boost for us after the preseason feeling among the players,” Allen said. “We really needed this. This was really big for us.”

And Allen was prepared to do anything to help the Raiders win.

After starting quarterback Jay Schroeder left the game with a separated shoulder in the first quarter, Shanahan told Allen that he was the emergency quarterback if Beuerlein was injured.

“I was the next guy in line,” Allen said. “As a matter of fact Mike Shanahan walked over to me and said, ‘Can you take snaps?’ So I was prepared. I know a few of the (pass) plays.”

Fortunately for the Raiders, he did not need to prove it.