The Raiders Go From Snarling to Smiling, 30-17 : Pro football: A week of controversy is forgotten as Hostetler and Shell enjoy victory over Falcons.

Jeff Hostetler knew the blitz was coming. Quarterbacks can sense that sort of thing.

So when the first wave of on-rushing media attacked receiver Tim Brown after Sunday’s game and asked him about the Raider play-calling, Hostetler took off.

“Let it go,” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared through the locker room door. “Let it go.”

Hostetler made it halfway down the Coliseum tunnel before he realized he had left his wallet behind.

So back he came, agreeing to sit down and talk about a subject that obviously remains sore, even in the afterglow of Sunday’s 30-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at the Coliseum.

“It was a rough week,” he explained, cracking a smile in public for the first time in seven days.

That it was. But for the first time in weeks, there was plenty for him to smile about Sunday.

The Raiders won decisively, before a sparse crowd of 42,192. Hostetler, Coach Art Shell and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh were apparently back in agreement, the Raider offense running smoothly and effectively.

Harvey Williams was back in the starting lineup for the first time since his days as a Kansas City Chief, gaining a game-high 107 yards, the first 100-yard-plus rushing performance by a Raider in two years.

The Raider offensive line, despite the presence of two new faces, was back to being a cohesive unit, opening holes for Williams in the face of an eight-man Atlanta front, and closing those holes when Hostetler needed protection.

The Raider defense was back to peak efficiency after letting down in overtime last week in Miami. The Raiders picked off two passes, both by cornerback Lionel Washington, who got additional playing time because of Atlanta’s use of three and, occasionally, four wide receivers.

The victory kept the Raiders in the hunt for a possible playoff spot and relieved the tension of a week of controversy over the play-calling.

That controversy had erupted on the sideline in Miami a week ago in a shouting match between Hostetler and Shell after Hostetler had changed two plays in the huddle. The two had talked during the week, but questions lingered about Hostetler’s relationship with Walsh and Hostetler’s freedom to improvise on the field.

So does Hostetler retain the power to change plays when necessary?.

“You have a feel for the game out there,” he said. “It was something we were able to work out during the week.”

The Raiders worked out a game plan that seemed perfect for the defense they faced.

The first step was starting Williams over Ty Montgomery, a move that seemed about seven weeks overdue.

Williams has promised big things since he signed with the Raiders in the off-season. This might not have been the best opportunity to deliver on that promise, considering that both offensive tackles were making their first starts of the season, Robert Jenkins on the left side for injured Gerald Perry and Greg Skrepenak on the right for slumping Bruce Wilkerson.

But it all worked, Williams’ quickness and durability enabling him to carry 27 times and open up the defense.

“I can carry about 10 more times,” he told Shell toward the end of the game.

That wasn’t necessary because Hostetler was able to deliver on the promise he had shown a year ago when he proved adept at picking defenses apart with a versatile passing game.

Hostetler, who has struggled some this year even when he was pleased with the play-calling, was back to finding the open man, including Brown, his favorite receiver.

Hostetler completed 21 of 30 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, of 20 and 31 yards to Brown, who wound up catching a season-high eight passes for 130 yards.

Hostetler also took advantage of his backs, completing an additional eight passes to Williams and three more to fullback Tom Rathman.

All that was a far cry from the way Sunday’s game began for the Raiders.

The Falcons’ Norm Johnson opened the scoring with a 23-yard field goal on the opening drive.

After the kickoff, the Raiders had the ball on their 45-yard line. Hostetler faded back to pass, but never saw safety Roger Harper blitzing from the left side. Harper hit Hostetler, the ball popped out and Falcon lineman Chuck Smith recovered.

Was the Raider controversy going to start all over again?

It sure seemed so when Atlanta drove to the Raider one-yard line and Craig Heyward powered his way into the end zone from there, giving Atlanta a 10-0 lead.

So much for the Falcons.

First, Williams scored on a one-yard run. Then, when a diving Albert Lewis got a piece of Harold Alexander’s punt, causing it to flutter for only 17 yards, Hostetler and Brown were able to go to work.

After Jeff Jaeger kicked a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Raider lead stood at 24-10.

Atlanta quarterback Jeff George then threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis to close the gap to seven points at the start of the fourth quarter.

After Jaeger’s 31-yard field goal made it 27-17, Lewis knocked George out of the game for one play with a sack that resulted in a hip injury for the Atlanta quarterback. Enter Bobby Hebert, whose one and only pass was intercepted by Washington, setting up Jaeger’s 24-yard field goal to close out the scoring.

In dropping the Falcons to 4-4, the Raiders outgained them 313 yards to 255 and kept the ball for 32:32, enabling their defense to finally enjoy a breather after weeks of carrying the team.

It was a smooth ending to a rough week.

Problems and obstacles certainly remain, but for one day at least, the smile was back on Hostetler’s face.

And the offense was back in the Raider game plan.