Torn Ligament Sidelines Allen; Bo Is Due Today

The Raiders got an answer to the problem of fitting Bo Jackson into a backfield in which Marcus Allen no longer wants to play fullback, but it’s not one they wanted.

Allen suffered a partial tear of a ligament in his right knee Monday night against the New York Jets and will be out for two weeks.

Jackson is scheduled to arrive today, although he has been completely out of touch--he doesn’t call, he doesn’t write, he doesn’t even stop by when he’s in town--and no Raider knows for sure.

“Bo’s supposed to be here (today),” Art Shell said, smiling with the required equanimity.

“When Bo gets here, Bo will be here.”

In his first Raider season, Bo sat out a game before playing. A year ago, he played as soon as he arrived. With Allen out, the need for him is dire, so how fast can the Raiders turn him around this time?

“‘It all depends on Bo,” Shell said. “We’ll take a look at him in practice sessions. It’s just a matter of him familiarizing himself with what we’re doing. Of course, he’s a smart guy. It doesn’t take him long to pick up things.”

Shell’s reaction to Allen’s I-don’t-want-to-play-fullback declaration?

“Marcus has his feelings about fullback. When we initiated this, I think Marcus volunteered to make the move. I guess at this time he feels it’s taking a whole lot of toll on him. Marcus is a tailback. We’ll just do what’s good for the football team.”

Can Shell envision himself asking Allen to make the switch?

“Right now, I’m not going to say that,” said Shell, sounding like a man who’d be loath to call for such a sacrifice.

They’re all Raiders together again.

While Shell coached Monday night, Al Davis sat in the Meadowlands press box, thinking supportive thoughts. When a friend pointed out a Raider mistake, Davis noted patiently, “We’ll get it.”

It was a far cry from Davis’ attitude during Mike Shanahan’s tenure, when he expressed dismay at so much of what his new coach tried.

Some of Davis’ objections bordered on the silly, like the one about using the shotgun. Do the winners of seven of the last nine Super Bowls scorn the formation, as Davis noted after firing Shanahan? Look at it another way: In those nine years, three Super Bowl champions--the 49ers, Redskins and Raiders--didn’t use the shotgun and two--the Bears and Giants--did. Are the Giants and Bears chopped liver?

In the end, Davis did what he had to do. If he couldn’t back Shanahan, he had to fire him.

Now they’re finally back on the same page, as they say in football. Together they can make realistic assessments of their needs and prospects as they try to rebuild.

Davis keeps saying, “We’re close,” but are they?

Monday night, returning to power and simplicity, their offense had its worst game of the season.

Maybe they were trying too hard for Shell? He thinks so.

Maybe Shanahan’s scheme really was missed? It used more finesse but it was designed to keep defenses guessing and thus back on their heels and unable to attack at predictable times.

The Raider offensive line allowed three sacks in Monday night’s first half to a Jet team that had amassed that many all season. The return to power running resulted in 130 yards rushing but failed twice on third and one, when the old dive over the line replaced Shanahan’s traps.

Don Mosebar, inactive Monday with a knee injury, might have helped. The power-throw deep game is back to stay, so the line will get plenty of chances to show what it can do.

What’s it like making a victorious coaching debut?

Shell slept for an hour or two on the charter flight home, which arrived at 5 a.m. Tuesday. Then he went straight to the office to watch the film, meet with the press and begin to plan for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I was just happy for the guys because they deserved it,” Shell said. “They played very hard. We just need to calm them down a little bit and we’ll be fine.”