PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Montgomery to Get First Start

Staying with the hot back of the week, Coach Art Shell said Wednesday that Ty Montgomery will get his first start at tailback for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game at the Coliseum against the Denver Broncos.

The starting fullback won’t be decided until the availability of Steve Smith (ankle injury) is determined.

Last week, the Raiders started a backfield of Randy Jordan and Napoleon McCallum.

Although he didn’t start last week against the Broncos in the regular-season finale, Montgomery was the Raiders’ leading rusher with 44 yards in 13 carries.

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Rocket Ismail, who suffered a sprained neck Sunday, worked out Wednesday, but did not put on pads and participate fully in practice. He is listed as questionable for Sunday.

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The Raiders will play host to the Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints next season in addition to their AFC West opponents.

On the road, they will face the Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots plus their regular division rivals.

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Sunday’s game is not yet a sellout. Unless the Raiders sell all 67,800 seats by 1 p.m. today, or receive an extension from the league, the game will be blacked out in Los Angeles. The Raiders did not reveal how they close they were to a sellout. . . . Robert Rosenfeld, team physician since 1966, died Tuesday night of lung cancer at age 80.