PRO FOOTBALL ’92 : Pressure to Win Is Fueled by Past : Raiders: Early performances of Schroeder, Dickerson might be crucial after disappointments of last two seasons.

August was a typical month for Al Davis.

It began with the Raider owner being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but before the month was over, it was revealed that there was no money to renovate the Raiders’ home at the Coliseum.

From adulation to agony.

It always seems to be one or the other for Davis and his Raiders.

But through it all, Davis never wavers from his top priority: winning.

That hasn’t always been easy. On the field, there has been mainly agony in recent years. After a four-year absence from the playoffs, the Raiders made it to the AFC championship game two seasons ago but were blown out by the Buffalo Bills, 51-3.

Last season was even more disappointing. After a 9-7 regular season, good for a wild-card berth, the Raiders lost during the first round of the playoffs to the Kansas City Chiefs, 10-6.

The season ended with a quarterback controversy.

The off-season was highlighted by the acquisition of a controversial running back.

Training camp had its usual share of controversial holdouts.

Now, controversy has again arisen over whether the Coliseum can still be the Raiders’ home.

Some years are good for the Raiders, some are bad. None are quiet.

And what will this season bring?

Here is a breakdown of the team, which will open the season Sunday night against the Broncos in Denver’s Mile High Stadium:

* QUARTERBACK--Nothing has changed since camp opened.

Coach Art Shell announced then that Jay Schroeder was his starter and has stuck to that decision despite Schroeder’s interceptions and Coliseum boos.

The Raiders are still hoping Schroeder will regain his form of 1990, when he threw 19 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions. Last season, he had 15 scoring passes and 16 interceptions.

Meanwhile, Todd Marinovich will be waiting on the sidelines, ready to exchange his clipboard for the football.

The Raiders want no revolving door to the huddle. If they switch quarterbacks, they want to do it only once.

So Schroeder will open the season in Denver and get his shot.

* RUNNING BACK--Unlike Marinovich, Eric Dickerson doesn’t have his prime time ahead of him.

Dickerson, who turns 32 today, spent his prime with the Rams, for whom he rushed for a record 2,105 yards in 1984.

The Raiders would be thrilled to get half of that out of Dickerson this season. The question is, how far can he carry the Raiders?

Nick Bell, 24, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, will also get his share of work.

That would appear to leave longtime Raider backfield star Marcus Allen in limbo, perhaps the No. 3 back at best.

Steve Smith is set at fullback with Derrick Gainer, who beat out Napoleon McCallum for a job, as the backup.

* RECEIVER: The Raiders appear set with veterans Willie Gault and Mervyn Fernandez at wide receiver, and Ethan Horton, last year’s surprise reception leader with 53 for 650 yards and five touchdowns, at tight end.

But all three will be pushed. Tim Brown will play on passing downs. After four years in the league, Brown has been able to get his hands on almost everything but a starting job. But that could change if Gault is unable to improve on last season’s total of 20 catches.

Sam Graddy had a strong exhibition season. He had caught only eight passes in three seasons, but he pulled in seven in three exhibitions. But where do the Raiders play him?

Horton is secure, but right behind him is David Jones, who has good hands and unusual speed for a tight end.

* OFFENSIVE LINE: No surprises here. Don Mosebar anchors a line that has tackles Bruce Wilkerson on the left and Steve Wright on the right, and guards Steve Wisniewski on the left and Max Montoya on the right.

The running game struggled early in the exhibition season, but this veteran line, with a total of 39 years of experience, showed what it can do against the Washington Redskins, helping Dickerson rush for 93 yards during the first half.

Among the backups, the most promising is Greg Skrepenak, the team’s second-round draft choice from Michigan.

* DEFENSIVE LINE: Three large, unexpected holes have developed. Veterans Greg Townsend and Scott Davis have yet to report. And Chester McGlockton, the team’s No. 1 draft choice, has sat out nearly a month because of a foot injury he suffered in the exhibition opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

Townsend, demanding a contract renegotiation, has shown no sign of giving in. Davis can’t even decide if he wants to remain a football player.

Howie Long, at 32, has shown his usual quickness and ferocity. He will be joined, for now at least, by Bob Golic, Anthony Smith, Nolan Harrison and Aundray Bruce. Bruce, who has played everywhere from tight end to linebacker in his NFL career, has stepped in and tried to win a job.

At least as long as the others are holding out, he has one.

* LINEBACKER: Before training camp, this was the area of greatest concern. It still appears to be the Raiders’ weak point.

Riki Ellison starts at middle linebacker, flanked by Aaron Wallace and Winston Moss.

With the release of Tom Benson on Monday, the Raiders are particularly thin here, with only Anthony Bell and Mike Jones as backups.

* DEFENSIVE BACKS: No controversy over who the quarterback is on this unit. Ronnie Lott heads into his 12th NFL season, his physical skills still unquestioned. He brings an instinct for the game that commands the respect of both his teammates and those plotting offensive schemes against him.

And the Raiders have added still more experience by signing veteran safety Dave Waymer, who joins Lott and Eddie Anderson at safety.

The corners appear secure with Terry McDaniel on the left and Lionel Washington on the right.

* SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Jeff Jaeger is coming off of his best season, one that landed him in the Pro Bowl. He had a club-record 29 field goals and 116 points.

Punter Jeff Gossett, heading into his fifth season with the Raiders and 11th in the league, showed he is ready by booming a 58-yard effort Saturday against the Houston Oilers.

Brown will run back punts, but the Raiders have a hole in the kickoff-return unit, where only Graddy is now stationed.

With the release of McCallum, Ron Brown and Stacey Simmons, the Raiders might be down to volunteers.

HOWIE LONG: He hasn’t forgotten that he wasn’t expected to succeed. C5

BOB OATES: Exhibitions usually mean little, but the Vikings’ are an exception. C5