When Bo Goes, He Really Goes--or It’s No Go : Raiders: Battered Jackson has slowed, but team has won even though ground game has suffered in the process.

Whither Bo goest, there also may the Raiders go, they hope. But where is that?

Bo Jackson’s best season breaks down into two parts; the stupendous and the mostly ordinary. The division occurred in the Houston game, when he began to picking up small injuries, although Coach Art Shell says it’s more than that.

In his first five games, Jackson averaged 16.8 carries, 114 yards and 6.8 a carry.

In his last three, since feeling a twinge in his left thigh and suffering bruised ribs and a bruised knee, he has averaged 14.6 carries, 47.3 yards and 3.6 a carry.

In his first five games, he never had fewer than 79 yards.

In the last three, he hasn’t had more than 64.

His importance can hardly be minimized. In his previous incarnation, the Raiders had legitimate reason to believe they were more than mere contenders for a wild-card playoff berth. With Jackson at full bore and a revived defense, they could envision themselves beating any team on any field, right up to you-know-what in New Orleans.

With Jackson merely mortal, so are they. They have had to struggle to win their last two games, both at home, including one with the lowly Patriots.

Might a returning Marcus Allen take the burden off Jackson, allowing him to heal?

“I don’t know if Bo wants the burden taken off,” Shell said.

In fact, Bo does not. But will less work return him to superhuman form?

“You guys made him superhuman,” Shell told the Raider press corps. “He didn’t. I didn’t.

“He’s a human being, just like everybody else. He’s not saying he’s some robo-football player or whatever. He’s not. He’s a human being. He gets licked just like anybody else.

“There are a lot of things that go into those numbers of his. We have to make sure that we’re doing a good job of blocking up front, too. Regardless of how superhuman you think he is, he still has to have blocking. If you don’t have blocking, I don’t care who you are, you’re not going to get much yardage.

“Right now, for whatever reason, we’re not getting the running game going. We’ve got to concentrate on that. And we will.”

Assuming the offensive line didn’t happen to fall into a slump three games ago, what else might it be?

“Teams are beginning to do things,” Shell said. “They show us one thing on film and they’re beginning to do things a little differently on the football field.”

Such as?

“Any action by Bo going one way or the other, you’ve got safeties and everybody coming up. Even the coaches are coming up.

“We’ve got to find ways to counteract what they’re doing.

“It’s not easy out there. It’s not easy, I’m telling you.”

What might the Raiders do?

More play-action passes off fakes to Bo.

More carries for fullback Steve Smith. At Houston, where he seemed to have been reserved for guard duty on the injured Steve Beuerlein, he had one carry. He had four in regulation Sunday against the Broncos, before his key 16-yard run that set up the winning field goal in overtime.

And now a few words from Bo, himself: “I’m always beat up. That doesn’t mean it’s to the point where I can’t play.”

Was Sunday’s a big win?

“What kind of question is that to ask? We’re playing to get in the . . . playoffs. Of course, it’s a big win. Where do you guys come up with those questions? Who writes your dialogue?”

Not Nike, but anyway. . . .

What did winning Sunday mean?

“That just shuts up (the Broncos’) . . . mouths. Because people that talk as much as the Broncos have this week--they were more uncertain of this game than we were.”

No one is sure what Jackson was referring to. Dan Reeves said there was no love lost between these teams but nothing more insulting was widely reported.

“I’m quite sure you read the papers and saw the news,” Jackson said. “I don’t have to repeat what they said.”

Were the Broncos out of line, then?

“I’m not saying they were out of line, but if you’re going to talk that . . . , at least have some paper to pick it up at the end.”

The playoff picture:

The Raiders are in a three-way tie with Cincinnati and Miami at 7-6 for the second wild-card spot, but they have the advantage in the tie-breakers over both teams.

They beat the Bengals head-up.

They have a better conference record (6-5) than the Dolphins (5-6).

If Houston wins its remaining two home games, and the Raiders win their next two--Phoenix here Sunday, then at Seattle--the Bengals or Dolphins would have to finish 3-0 to knock them out.

Raider Notes

Steve Beuerlein is now 3-1 as a starter this season, having played three games on his wounded knee. . . . The Cleveland Browns have three more games left with contending teams, the Bengals two, the Raiders and Dolphins one. . . . Add endangered list: Mike Haynes wasn’t activated Sunday as Dennis Price returned to action.