PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Hostetler Might Come Off the Bench

Don’t count Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler out for Sunday’s game at Kansas City if Friday’s practice is any indication. Hostetler, who had not practiced with the team since suffering an ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 19, imitated Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana for the Raiders’ defense and said that he felt better as he walked off the field after practice.

“Yeah, Jeff is getting some work in and he is getting better,” Raider Coach Art Shell said. “He’s steadily been into what we’re doing on offense. It’s getting to a point where he can help us on Sunday.”

Vince Evans will still start against the Chiefs, but look for Hostetler to come off the bench if needed.

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Other Raiders who have been injured but are expected to play against the Chiefs are running back Nick Bell, linebacker Joe Kelly, special teams captain Elvis Patterson, defensive tackle Chester McGlockton and wide receiver/kick returner Rocket Ismail.

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To combat Kansas City’s crowd noise, the Raiders will try to do what they did in their early-season victory at Seattle: get off to a good start and take the crowd out of the game.

“We haven’t put anything in special for this game,” Shell said. “We’ll just use the same things we did in Seattle. We just relish it when a crowd just goes silent.”