A Second Chance for Second Best

Shaun Alexander started the season as Seattle’s No. 2 running back. But, to the Oakland Raiders, he felt more like a two-by-four to the ribs.

He ran for 266 yards Monday against a defense that had surrendered an average of 92 yards a game on the ground.

Said defensive end Tony Bryant: “We’re embarrassed, man.”

Maybe they shouldn’t be. Alexander, filling in for injured Ricky Watters, is just another in a long line of second-string running backs turning in first-rate performances. Ram running back Trung Canidate did that in place of Marshall Faulk, and Oakland’s Charlie Garner might never give his job back to Tyrone Wheatley.

Four other overachieving understudies to watch:

* Maurice Smith. Undrafted out of North Carolina A&T;, Smith turned heads in Atlanta’s training camp as a rookie in 2000. But there’s a big difference between exhibition games and the regular season, so he logged most of his time on special teams. When Jamal Anderson went down in Week 3 with torn knee ligaments, Smith proved he belongs in the backfield. He isn’t as powerful as Anderson, but he’s starting to push the pile. Smith’s big problem is picking up the blitz, a soft spot that could be exposed Sunday against Green Bay.

* Troy Hambrick. Like the Falcons’ Smith, Hambrick came from a small school (Savannah State) and was overlooked in the 2000 draft. He was signed as a fullback and only played halfback in last season’s finale, when the Cowboys didn’t want to risk injury to Emmitt Smith in garbage time. Smith has missed the past two games because of a sprained knee ligament (he’s expected to return Sunday), and Hambrick has taken full advantage of the opportunity. Although he has yet to score, he leads the team with 437 yards in 80 carries, a 5.5-yard average.

* Anthony Thomas. James Allen began the season as the Chicago starter, but fell out of favor when his per-carry average dropped below three yards. In stepped Thomas, nicknamed A-train, who broke off some nice runs against Minnesota and Arizona, then gained 188 yards against Cincinnati. After that, it was adios Allen. Thomas is as solid and dependable off the field as he is on it. He is married and has a toddler son. He did miss one day of mini-camp, though--skipping out to attend his graduation ceremony at Michigan.

* Stacey Mack. Talk about a wild ride. Jacksonville’s Mack, filling in for injured Fred Taylor (groin strain), gave a strong performance against Cleveland, then fumbled twice in the first half at Seattle. Not only did Coach Tom Coughlin bench him, he relegated Mack to the practice squad. Mack resurfaced in the second half against Cincinnati last Sunday, rushing for 70 of his 71 yards and helping the Jaguars end their losing streak at five games. To this day, Coughlin makes no apologies for Mack’s banishment. “He’s been around here long enough to understand what he has to do.”

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Grab your nausea medicine, because Baltimore could be poised for another fantastic finish. The Ravens, who redefined hubris last season, closed the season with 11 consecutive victories, swaggering away with a world championship. This season’s 6-3 team plays five of its last seven games at home, and only one of those comes against a winning team (at home against Pittsburgh). As it stands, the Ravens have won eight in a row at Baltimore.

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The Bears have surrendered only seven sacks, which is particularly impressive considering their two quarterbacks--Jim Miller and Shane Matthews--are not especially mobile. This could explain things: Neither player hangs onto the ball long. They are averaging only 8.85 yards per completion, and 7.17 yards in last Sunday’s loss to the Packers. Green Bay, which leads the NFC in sacks, never got to Miller.

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The law of averages has caught up to the Raiders, who went several seasons with precious few serious injuries. This season, their offensive line has been decimated. The latest casualty is left tackle Barry Sims, who almost certainly will sit out Sunday’s game against San Diego and could be out for the season because of a painful foot injury. Already, the line had lost center Barret Robbins, out for the season with torn knee ligaments, and guard Mo Collins, who has missed four games because of a stress fracture.

Matt Stinchcomb, the team’s first-round pick in 1999, will start in place of Sims. Stinchcomb sat out his rookie season because of a shoulder injury and has yet to realize the potential coaches had foreseen.

Memo to NFL quarterbacks: Don’t look for sympathy from Jason Taylor. The Miami defensive end isn’t happy about the league’s renewed emphasis on protecting the passer.

“They’ve gone too far to protect them and not worry about other things going on in the game,” he said. “You hit a quarterback and drive him into the ground, it’s a penalty. You hit him in the head, it’s a penalty. They don’t say anything about the chop blocks going on. We just play defense. Who cares about us? Quarterbacks fill the stands. We just win games for teams.”

The Dolphins have been flagged four times for roughing the passer, and Miami’s Lorenzo Bromell broke Peyton Manning’s jaw last Sunday.

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Tampa Bay running back Mike Alstott, who for years has gone by “A-train,” is none too pleased Chicago’s Thomas has the same nickname.

“I’ve been in the league six years and I have the name established, and somebody comes in and tries to take the name?” Alstott griped. “They can say he got it in college, but I got it in college also.”

Is this guy serious?