PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Shell Is Feeling Shorted by Schedule

Coach Art Shell was not happy with the NFL’s decision to schedule the Raiders for a Saturday wild-card game.

The game, which will start at 9:30 a.m. PST, marks the second consecutive short week for the Raiders, who played a Monday night game against New Orleans last week.

“It’s a difficult thing to do,” Shell said. “This time of year it’s a lot of wear and tear on the body. You need time to recuperate.”

Shell also said this is not the time of year for excuses.

“You’ve got to dig down,” he said. “You’ve got to really dig hard and get it out of yourself. There ain’t no tomorrow. The top teams, the teams that are going to win at this time of the year, are the teams that push those things aside. You can’t go feeling sorry for yourselves.”

Roger Craig didn’t play against the Chiefs. Shell said he started Marcus Allen because the veteran tailback has a better knowledge of the blocking schemes necessary to protect rookie quarterback Todd Marinovich.

Once the Raiders fell behind, the Raiders had to pass more often. And Craig was left on sideline. Rookie Nick Bell, who usually plays a lot in the second half, also did not have a rushing attempt.

“We didn’t get into the rhythm of rotating our backs,” Shell said.

Backup cornerback Garry Lewis was on crutches Monday because of a sprained ankle he suffered last week. His status for Saturday’s game is unknown.