Finally, Gault Gets Out of the Blocks : Raiders: After catching two long passes from quarterback Jay Schroeder, veteran receiver gets his redemption.

Raider quarterback Jay Schroeder faked a flip to tailback Bo Jackson and faded back to pass on the first play of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Schroeder lofted the ball deep to Willie Gault, who had run a post pattern. Gault broke in between Bengal defensive backs Lewis Billups and Rickey Dixon and made a leaping catch for a 63-yard reception to set up a touchdown.

“It was just a fake flip,” Schroeder said. “Hopefully the safety was going to come up and try to run support and Willie was going to get by everybody.”

That about sums it up.

Gault and Schroeder also combined on an 84-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter as the Raiders defeated the Bengals, 28-7.

On third and 14 at the 16-yard line, Gault ran a fly pattern and caught the ball at the Bengal 47 behind Dixon. Wide receiver Mervyn Fernandez came across the field and flattened Dixon to free Gault, who sprinted into the end zone.

“It was an 84-yard touchdown but I probably ran more like 150 yards,” Gault said.

Jackson, who watched the play unfold, marveled at Gault’s speed.

“There’s no defensive back in the game who can run with him,” Jackson said. “Willie’s got so much speed that when a team gives us the passing game, we’re going to get the ball downfield.

“Everybody is keying on me and that gets him open. He’s the one who really had a great game today. Me, it was just a usual day on the job.”

Gault had an extraordinary day, catching two passes for 147 yards.

“I need a game like this every week,” Gault said. “But unfortunately that hasn’t happened.”

Indeed.

Gault has struggled since being traded to the Raiders from the Chicago Bears. Hampered by injuries last season, he caught only 16 passes in 15 games last year, his worst season since entering the NFL in 1983.

“I learned from last year,” Gault said. “I learned what not to do. It was the first time that I had ever been hurt in my career and I learned how to keep my body healthy.”

After catching four passes for 130 yards in the Raiders’ season-opening victory over the San Diego Chargers, Gault disappeared in the Raiders’ last three games under Coach Mike Shanahan.

After Art Shell replaced Shanahan, the new coach said he planned to return to the Raider philosophy of throwing long. But Gault remained lost. He even dropped a 65-yard pass last week.

“It was a drop but it wasn’t a drop,” Gault said. “I should have caught the ball. It’s a sure. But I think I learned a great deal from that because at that point I wasn’t really into the game like I should have been.”

Gault was definitely into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, putting together his best performance of the season.

So, where has he been?

“I’ve never gone anywhere,” Gault said. “I’ve been right here in Los Angeles and I’m going to stay here. I’ve been out there and playing my heart out. I’ve been making some plays, not so much the big long plays but blocking and doing everything else. I think that’s what it takes to be a receiver in this league. My numbers are not going to be big ones all the time like (Ram) Henry Ellard or (San Francisco 49er) Jerry Rice, but I think I can go out and help the team win by blocking and helping in other areas.”

Said Shell: “It’s just a matter of getting Willie the ball. If you throw six deep balls he’ll come up with four of them.”

Schroeder, who has struggled as much as Gault, said Gault has persevered.

“If you keep hanging in there and keep doing it long enough, sooner or later it’s going to get done right,” Schroeder said. “Today we got it done right.”

Gault also has had problems off the field this season.

A fashionable men’s clothing store owned by Gault in Chicago was closed last month because of a dispute with the landlord. Cook’s County Sheriff Deputies shut down the store, which allegedly owed $32,000 in back rent.

“We closed it down,” Gault said. “The top 15 richest men in the country filed bankruptcy three times. That’s part of business. It was a business decision for us to close the store.

“It was something that I knew was going to happen and I wanted it to happen. My investors and I felt it was the best thing to happen.”

Gault said he hasn’t let his business setback affect his play.

“Life is too short to worry about what-ifs,” Gault said. “I don’t let things bother me. Whatever happens happens for a purpose. The dinosaurs were here once and they’re gone. I’m here now and I’ll be gone sometime. Life is full of ups and down. And as a human being, you can’t control those things.”