Good News for Marinovich : Raiders: Quarterback’s knee is only a little sore; he will practice this week.

Monday was one of the best days of the season for Raider quarterback Todd Marinovich.

He woke up and got out of bed.

Alone. Without help. Without serious pain.

So what’s the big deal?

As it turned out, nothing. Marinovich sprained his left knee in Sunday’s 19-0 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. But he had no swelling Monday and an examination revealed no internal damage.

“It’s just a little sore,” Marinovich said.

He is expected to practice this week in preparation for Sunday’s game at the Coliseum against the Dallas Cowboys.

It might have turned out a lot worse. Standing in the path of Seattle’s Cortez Kennedy, a 6-foot-3, 293-pound defensive lineman, can be as dangerous as standing in a bullring and waving a cape.

Yet that’s the position Marinovich found himself in during the first quarter Sunday when a play broke down.

“We audiblized,” Coach Art Shell said. “And when you audibilize, the snap count changes. (Marinovich) pulled out early so everybody was not moving at the same time.”

For Marinovich, Kennedy was moving way too fast.

Since the Raiders put third-string quarterback Vince Evans on waivers last week, tailback Marcus Allen became the No. 2 quarterback, behind Jay Schroeder, when Marinovich’s afternoon ended prematurely.

And Allen nearly became the No. 1 quarterback when Schroeder hurt his thumb.

“Marcus was on the runway,” Shell said.

Schroeder wasn’t hurt seriously, though, which gave Allen an opportunity to do a little kidding on the sideline.

“Why don’t you go put your thumb in some ice and let me take a few snaps,” Allen said.

Allen, the ultimate back in terms of versatility, has completed 10 of 23 passes in his 11-year career, five of them for touchdowns.

On their final series of the game, the Raiders lined up at their own one-yard line.

Was Allen still so eager to go in?

“That’s OK,” he told Schroeder. “You can take these snaps.”

The Raiders won’t take any more chances this week. They are bringing Evans back, just in case.

The Raiders woke up Monday much like their starting quarterback.

Disaster has been averted, for now. There is no permanent damage to their playoff hopes and the future looks brighter.

Three weeks ago, the Raiders were 0-4 and on the verge of self-destructing.

But by winning three straight games while some of the teams above them have struggled, the Raiders find themselves in the hunt for at least a wild-card berth.

In their own division, the third-place Raiders suddenly trail the second-place Kansas City Chiefs by only one game and the division-leading Denver Broncos by two with more than half the season to go. The Raiders have clawed their way back into contention with defense. They have now gone 10 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown.

The Seahawks are on a scoreless streak of their own, but not one they want to talk about.

In getting shut out for the second consecutive week, the Seahawks stretched their streak without a touchdown to 12 quarters, 44 series and 180 plays.

The Raider coach continues to play a shell game with his three tailbacks, but it’s not a game he particularly likes.

The Raiders have used Eric Dickerson as the starter this season and have gone largely with Allen in the second half.

That left second-year man Nick Bell on the bench, until Sunday.

With a chance to get some work, Bell, who previously had just 71 yards rushing this season, got 97 in one game, 66 on one play--a fourth-quarter touchdown run down the right sideline.

Bell averaged 9.7 yards a carry.

Is is tough deciding on who in the trio plays when?

“Yeah, it’s tough with three guys,” Shell said. “You’ve got two veteran ballplayers who have been excellent throughout the years and a guy that’s chomping at the bit and wants to play. There’s three guys and only so many carries.”

Bell impressed Schroeder, the man who handed him the ball on his long run.

“We’ve got a 250-pound tailback we can throw in in the fourth quarter when the other team is a little tired,” Schroeder said. “Someone we know can run the ball. That’s a heck of a weapon.”