Raiders Have a Good Look

Sebastian Janikowski, with his face bruised and battered because either he’s a very clumsy dancer or a very careless taker of illegal substances and who fell mug-first onto a nightclub floor, is not the face of the Oakland Raiders.

Maybe, to some renegade elements of Raider fandom, Janikowski is some kind of weird folk hero. The sound a football makes coming from Janikowski’s kicking foot is a resounding boom and it brought Raider fans to their feet Sunday night at the RCA Dome.

But, no, Janikowski is only the kicker for the 4-1 Raiders, who defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 23-18.

Rich Gannon, clean-shaven and serious-minded, he is the face of the Raiders.

Gannon, a 14-year NFL veteran, led the Raiders on a precise, professional final drive, the safe kind that keeps the clock running and the ball away from the opponent. This drive ended with an Oakland field goal. By the time the Colts got the ball back, they needed a touchdown and more time than they had.

Jerry Rice, always to be revered for his distinguished career as a San Francisco 49er, also is the face of the Raiders

His persistent scowl and undying need to work harder and harder, has been appreciated by the team that is the oldest, by average age, in the NFL. If Rice doesn’t have the same speed and elusiveness now that he is 39 and a veteran of serious knee surgery, his hands are still sure and he was a favorite to receive Gannon’s short, safe passes.

Jon Gruden, boyish looking still, even in his fourth season of working as Raider head coach, he is the face of the Raiders. He is 37, barely older than his quarterback, younger than Rice and already on the list of replacements if Notre Dame Coach Bob Davie loses his job.

Gruden never caves to any of the wild meanderings of Al Davis. Gruden has made the Raider offense disciplined, yet mobile; made the defense fierce, yet controlled. Gruden is the son of a football coach and always seems to be rumored for some plum college job. Gruden has taken the Raiders from their tradition of thuggery and introduced them to simple, solid football.

His defense made Peyton Manning look flummoxed and flappable. It made speedy wide receiver Marvin Harrison disappear, a rabbit put back into the hat.

Tim Brown, 35, having spent 14 years with the Raiders, having been loyal and having been classy in his welcoming of Rice to the other side of the Bay Area, he is the face of the Raiders.

It is Brown, still speedy and able to race the sidelines, who Gannon looks for to make a big play. Brown had his 40th career 100-yard receiving game. No big deal.

This last week was full of distractions for the Raiders.

Janikowski, who makes no secret of his love for all things nightclub-oriented, was found by police to have a smashed-in face and a lack of understanding of where or who he was when they were called to an Oakland-area club earlier last week.

Club patrons told police Janikowski had taken the so-called date-rape drug. Janikowski, through his lawyer, said he had tripped and fallen while dancing. No big deal.

These are still the Raiders, after all, so of course Janikowski played Sunday. He kicked field goals of 39, 42 and 37 yards. It was the final one, with 2 minutes 22 seconds left that came at the end of Gannon’s gorgeous drive, one that lasted 6:49, covered 61 yards in 14 plays and took the heart out of the Colts.

Gannon passed to Rice twice, for 11 and 17 yards; found Brown once for 14 yards; located tight end Roland Williams once for 14 yards. Little tailback Charlie Garner, who the Philadelphia Eagles gave up on because he seemed to small and fragile, did the rest.

“That was a very professional drive by a very professional quarterback,” Rice said. “It’s what winning teams do on the road. It kept the crowd quiet and the ball away from Manning and [Edgerrin] James.

“When you need a touchdown instead of a field goal in the last two minutes, that’s a big difference.”

The Colts have only lost here four times since 1999--twice to the Raiders.

“I don’t know why,” Gannon said, “except that we’ve brought pretty good teams here.”

Colt Coach Jim Mora said he could only congratulate the Raiders on their last, long drive.

“The Raiders are a very, very good football team,” Mora said. “They’re talented, experienced and well-coached.

“I thought we played our best game of the season and it wasn’t good enough.”

Gruden is 30 years younger than Mora, a boy genius at the head of a team full of old pros.

“It’s the perfect mix,” Rice said. “Jon and me and the rest of the team.”