NFL PLAYOFFS : ANALYSIS : How Raiders Can Improve Next Season

On their first trip of the preseason, the Raiders went to Austin, Tex., where the temperature was 100 degrees. On their last trip of the postseason, they went to Buffalo, where the temperature with the windchill factor was 32 degrees below zero.

How fitting.

It was a season of extreme highs and lows for the Raiders, a season equal parts euphoria and depression, a season when inconsistency was the only constant.

One week, the Raiders seemed headed for the Super Bowl, the next week, they seemed headed nowhere.

And it didn’t even have to be week to week. Sometimes, it was half to half.

The problem is understandable. Coming off a 7-9 season in 1992, the Raiders had a new quarterback, a new running game, new receivers, an altered offensive line, a new middle linebacker and a new strong safety.

This was a machine whose new parts kept getting out of sync. Some wondered if these were even the right parts.

Beyond the performances on the field, there was a question whether anybody could fill the leadership gap left by the departure of strong safety Ronnie Lott and running Marcus Allen, who left after his feud with owner Al Davis turned ugly and public. The Allen situation caused a morale crisis that cut right through the club in ’92.

As it turned out, quarterback Jeff Hostetler, signed as a free agent, was the answer to several questions.

He reinforced his image as an accurate passer with a club-record 15 consecutive completions in the season opener, showed he could go deep with a club-record 424 yards passing on another day and showed he could scramble by setting a season club record for quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns.

Hostetler was a leader as well, inspiring the team with his emotional exhortations in the huddle, his cheerleading on the sidelines and his ability to keep returning to the field no matter how many times he limped off because of injuries.

Hostetler’s favorite target was Tim Brown. This was the season Brown went from being a good receiver to being a great one, catching 80 passes, a team record for a wide receiver, and becoming one of the league’s best big-play performers.

Receiver James Jett became one of the league’s new big-play performers. A former Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter, Jett, a rookie free agent, showed he has good hands to go with his speed, breaking open for one explosive gain after another.

The signing of free-agent offensive tackle Gerald Perry and the emergence of defensive lineman Chester McGlockton, a disappointment in his injury-plagued rookie season of 1992, made their respective lines stronger.

Middle linebacker Joe Kelly, previously a journeyman, and outside backer Winston Moss made that unit effective once again and second-year man Derrick Hoskins stepped up to replace Lott, at least physically if not emotionally.

With Rocket Ismail leading the league in kickoff returns and kicker Jeff Jaeger tying the league record with 35 field goals, the special teams also made a big contribution.

The biggest question mark entering the season was the running game, and it’s still there.

Nick Bell, projected as the starting tailback, was a disappointment. First he was hurt and then he was ineffective. Greg Robinson, an eighth-round draft choice, wound up the leading rusher with 591 yards despite sitting out the last 4 1/2 games because of knee surgery. Napoleon McCallum came off special teams and returned from an appendectomy to become the Raiders’ most reliable back in Robinson’s absence. Ty Montgomery, after spending more time on the sidelines than in the backfield for 15 games, was used extensively at the end.

All the parts finally meshed as the Raiders won five of their last six games to reach the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated, 29-23, Saturday by the Bills.

But in the end, the highs outweighed the lows. The Raiders got back some respect, got back above .500 and got back in the playoffs.

But now what?

How do the Raiders take that next big step and become true Super Bowl contenders?

Two key moves are necessary:

--Find a way to keep Brown.

--Find a running back.

Brown, unhappy with all the turmoil last season, wanted to leave, but was bound for one more year by his contract. He’s a transition player, meaning the Raiders can match any offer he gets. Match it, pay him, do whatever it takes to make him happy.

As for the rushing attack, Robinson may be the answer if he comes back healthy, McCallum has shown he can pick up yardage and Montgomery deserves another look. But the Raiders still need to find a proven running back in the free-agent market.

Where would they have been this season with Allen? Probably still playing, as Allen is with the Kansas City Chiefs.

There was a lot of talk by players about getting no respect, about media and fans jumping on the Raider bandwagon at the last moment. No kidding. A 7-9 team that struggled early didn’t draw well. What a shock. When the Raiders won in the stretch, the Coliseum was filled.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of,” said Hostetler.

Nobody said they did.