He Has Found His Slot : Tim Brown’s Frustration Finally Came to an End When He Broke Into the Raiders’ Starting Lineup at Cincinnati

Standing on the sideline at the start of each Raider game was beginning to take its toll on Tim Brown.

He never complained publicly, but people who followed the Raiders knew the receiver wanted to be on the field more.

A two-time Pro Bowl choice, Brown liked being regarded as a big-play receiver, but he could not understand why the Raiders made him their No. 1 draft choice in 1988, if they only wanted a backup.

During games, he was their go-to guy, but when the starters took the field, he was their go-sit-down guy.

“(Not starting was) frustrating at times, especially when you lose,” said Brown, the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame. “Every time you lose, you can’t help but ask yourself, ‘Is there anything more I could have done?’ Then, starting becomes an ego thing.”

After starting on the bench in the Raiders’ opening-game loss to Denver, Brown was a surprise starter in place of Mervyn Fernandez the next week at Cincinnati.

He made the most of his 11th NFL career start with six catches for 104 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown, and earned himself a full-time starting position.

“It was nice to be back out there,” said Brown, who has 108 catches and has scored 17 touchdowns in his career.

Raider Coach Art Shell has always tried to downplay the importance of his starters, but he announced Brown’s promotion last week on the same day Todd Marinovich was named the starting quarterback.

“I’m not taking anything away from Mervyn Fernandez because he has done great for us over the years,” Shell said. “But, it’s tough to hold (Brown) back.”

Brown’s stock rose when Marinovich became a starter because of their ability to make plays together. That was evident in the Raiders’ 28-16 loss to Cleveland on Sunday when Brown sat out the second half because of a hamstring injury.

After struggling for nearly two quarters, the offense finally got untracked once they got the ball to Brown. He made a big third-down catch for 18 yards on the Raiders’ first scoring drive before being injured before halftime.

Without Brown, the Raiders did not consistently move the ball in the second half, and Cleveland handed the Raiders their third consecutive loss of the season. Whenever Marinovich needed to complete a big pass, No. 81 was not available.

“Losing Tim Brown was a big factor,” Marinovich said after the loss. “I usually get the ball to him.”

Said Cleveland safety Vince Newsome: “We knew that they liked to get the ball to him and once he was out, things went our way.”

Brown, 26, is expected to be in the lineup when the Raiders play at Kansas City Monday night, but his latest injury is just another reason he remains one big play away from NFL greatness.

He started his Raider career with a bang. In his first regular-season game, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and was a Pro Bowl kick returner as a rookie after starting nine games.

He led the league in kickoff returns with a 26.8 average and led the AFC in punt return yards with 444. He also led the Raiders with 43 catches for 725 yards and five touchdowns.

A shoe commercial was just waiting for Brown until the first game of the 1989 season.

While returning a kickoff against the San Diego Chargers, Brown injured his knee. It ended his season. Doctors told him he would be fortunate ever to play again.

“I look at my career in two ways,” said the 6-foot, 195-pound Brown. “The time before my injury and after it. People look at me differently, but I feel that I am the same player.

“One thing that I have never done is take the game for granted. I have always known that any given play could be your last.”

When Brown returned for the 1990 season, he found himself playing behind Willie Gault and Fernandez. Brown caught only 18 passes that season, and his punt return average dropped to 8.7 yards.

Everywhere he turned someone had a different opinion about his comeback. Some said he was slower than before. Others said he was quicker. The only thing that mattered to Brown was getting more playing time to make his own determination.

“One thing that we have always known about Tim is that he could catch the ball,” Shell said. “We have always wanted to get him in the game more because he can do so many things. We know he can deliver.”

Last season, Brown’s frustration grew as he started only one game while the Raiders lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Even though he led the AFC in punt returns with an 11.4-yards-per-return average and earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl, Brown took deep breaths on the sideline every time he missed a snap.

“You always want to help the team win and be a team player at the same time,” Brown said. “But, every receiver wants to touch the ball more.”

In three games this season, Brown has 10 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown, while primarily operating from a slot receiver position.

“He is so darn quick from the slot position,” Shell said. “He would be a great run-and-shoot receiver.”

A run-and-shoot receiver on the bombs-away Raiders? That is how Brown carved his way into the Raiders’ lineup.

“I’m more comfortable inside than outside,” Brown said. “Outside you are more limited, while when you are in the slot you have more room to work.”

Brown knows that while playing for the Raiders he will never threaten for the league title for catches in a season, but getting more passes thrown his way is an improvement.

“We’ll never catch 70 passes apiece like they do with (the Washington Redskins’) Posse,” Brown said. “Shoot, it takes two of our guys to get that many. But, we’re improving as a team and whoever is out there will get the job done.”

Neither Brown nor the Raiders plan to have him return kickoffs because of his injury three years ago.

“Only if we get to the Super Bowl will you see him back there,” Shell said. “We don’t want to have him back there and neither does he.”

However, Brown adds: “If we get to the Super Bowl, we’ll have to talk about it.”

Unless the Raiders improve on their 0-3 start, that is one discussion Shell and Brown will not have this season.