Little Air in Seattle’s New Era : Pro football: Raiders will be facing a Seahawk team starting its No. 3 quaterback, journeyman Stan Gelbaug.

Ground Chuck was out.

Air Tom was in.

It was to be a new era for the Seattle Seahawks, who will play host to the Raiders this afternoon. With former Raider Coach Tom Flores replacing Chuck Knox as Seattle’s coach, the offense was going to be retooled.

The vertical passing game, so long identified with the Raiders, would be installed.

Instead, it has become the horizontal passing game.

Flores keeps sending quarterbacks and receivers out there, and they keep returning flat on their backs, headed for the injured-reserve list.

With Dave Krieg gone via Plan B, Kelly Stouffer became the Seahawks’ starting quarterback.

That lasted until two Sundays ago, when Stouffer suffered a dislocated left shoulder against the San Diego Chargers.

Enter backup quarterback Dan McGwire.

He played until last Sunday, when he broke his left hip against the Dallas Cowboys.

It was an all-too-familiar pattern in Flores’ nightmare return to coaching. Earlier, he had lost wide receiver Brian Blades with a broken collarbone and tight end Paul Green with a shoulder injury.

In all, 13 Seahawks have been on injured reserve with more than half the season to go.

The effect has been obvious on the field, where Seattle has lost five of its six games and is dead last in the NFL in total offense, averaging fewer than 100 yards a game.

“You just have got to go through the agony of what we’re going through right now,” Flores said. “It’s hard to explain the emotions that go with the frustrations. Whenever you get something going, there’s another guy down.”

So who’s left?

Today’s quarterback against the Raiders will be journeyman Stan Gelbaugh, who gained his only real experience with the London Monarchs of the World League last spring. Those are hardly credentials to strike fear in an opponent.

At 29, Gelbaugh is no kid. He has kicked around the NFL since 1986. But in all that time, with the Buffalo Bills, Phoenix Cardinals, and now the Seahawks, he has been in only eight games.

Should Gelbaugh struggle or--cover your ears, Tom Flores--get injured, the backup will be former Raider Rusty Hilger.

Who’s next, Marc Wilson?

Gelbaugh has spent his week of preparation trying to maintain a positive attitude.

“We’ve got over half the season to go and you can’t quit,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep going. I think the guys realize it’s too soon to give up. We can still salvage a decent year if we just start playing a little better. We are eventually going to get some of our guys back.”

Gelbaugh, who completed three of 10 passes for 33 yards with one interception in relief of McGwire last week, knows he will encounter some skeptics in his huddle today. He doesn’t expect to be instantly hailed as a leader.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “I have to go out and play well. I’m sure there’s a little bit of a wait-and-see attitude. There would be if the shoe were on the other foot. I’d wait and see.

“If the guy steps in and does the job, then it’s easy to be a leader. But when things are going south, it’s tough.

“The guys are hungry for a leader. They’re hungry for a win.”

Gelbaugh’s chance to win might have seemed more feasible several weeks ago, when the Raiders themselves were struggling at 0-4. But since then, they have made a mid-course correction by beating both the New York Giants and the Bills and are within two games of the AFC West lead at 2-4.

Last week’s victory was particularly impressive from a defensive standpoint. With a strong emotional effort and five sacks, the Raiders kept Buffalo out of the end zone.

That must cause a few shudders in Seattle, considering that the Bills began that game at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Seahawks as the NFL leader in total offense.

With Seattle, sending in new faces is a matter of necessity but the Raiders may also turn to one today. Kick returner-wide receiver Alexander Wright, obtained from the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week for a 1993 draft choice, may return kicks.

When he learns the offense, he will also be used some as a receiver, although he didn’t catch a pass for Dallas in three games this season and has had questions raised about his catching ability.

“I know I’m going to play a lot, a whole lot,” Wright said. “I’m sure I can be a big factor.”

Raider Notes

The Raiders have lost eight of 13 games played at the Seattle Kingdome, but have won their last two there. . . . Overall, the teams have split their 28 games. . . . Running back Eric Dickerson needs 20 yards on the ground to pass Tony Dorsett and move into the No. 2 spot on the NFL rushing list behind Walter Payton.