Gannon Likes His Position

This isn’t the first time the New England Patriots have stood in Rich Gannon’s way.

The first time, they did it by drafting him.

In 1987, the Patriots thought the prolific Delaware quarterback might make a fine NFL safety, and took him in the fourth round.

“At the time, I think Raymond Berry was the head coach, and he called me and he said, ‘We are excited to have you and we’re just looking for the best position for you,’” Gannon said.

“Well, right then and there I knew that it wasn’t quarterback.”

Gannon balked, forcing a trade to the Minnesota Vikings by refusing to change positions.

His boldness is probably the reason he is in his 14th season as an NFL quarterback, arguing passionately with Raider Coach Jon Gruden on the sidelines instead of arguing cases in court.

“I told them I probably wouldn’t report to mini-camp,” Gannon said. “You know, I would go to law school before I would [change positions].”

It’s long ago and far away now, but at 36, Gannon has come back around to face the Patriots tonight in wintry Foxboro Stadium for the right to advance to the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

“You know, no one really is left with that organization,” said Gannon, who went on to play for the Vikings, Redskins and Chiefs before reaching the apex of his career with the Raiders. “Coaches, general managers, owners, everybody is different.”

The only frosty feelings will be on the field, with temperatures in the 20s for the 8 p.m. EST kickoff--and snow is predicted.

It’s a game the Boston Globe dubbed Old Men against Old Man Winter, but the vintage Raiders--Gannon and future Hall of Fame receivers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown--will pit their experience against the upstart Patriots, who recovered from an 0-2 start to win the AFC East.

“I think we had a championship game in Chicago one year there, and no one expected us to be able to function in the cold,” said Rice, who crossed the San Francisco Bay this season after leaving the 49ers.

“I think exactly what Rich said: If it rains, then it’s a factor. Otherwise, under conditions like that, we’ll be able to function.”

New England has its own quarterback story after Tom Brady took over for the injured Drew Bledsoe, then usurped him when Bledsoe was ready to return.

But the game is widely seen as a contest of wits between the offense-minded Gruden and Patriot Coach Bill Belichick, the defensive mastermind whose defense has been rigid in the red zone but ranked third worst in the AFC in yardage, giving up 334 yards a game.

The variety of defenses can be daunting.

“You only have so many minutes in a practice to prepare, and you see the 3-4 with Willie McGinest and Bryan Cox and Roman Phifer and [Mike] Vrabel on the field, and then the next play you see a 4-3 defense and then you see a nickel defense on first down,” Gruden said.

Nasty weather, if it materializes, could put more emphasis on the running games.

The Patriots salvaged Antowain Smith from Buffalo and got a 1,000-yard season from him.

The Raiders’ running game was resurgent in last week’s wild-card victory over the New York Jets, when Charlie Garner rushed for 158 yards after a late-season slump.

The Raiders went 10-6, swooning to lose four of their last six regular-season games, but are a victory from reaching the AFC title game for a second consecutive year. (They lost to Baltimore last season.)

The Patriots won 11 of their last 14, but have played only one game since Dec. 22, their season final against 1-15 Carolina on Jan. 6.

“With all due respect to Carolina, Oakland’s a real good offensive football team,” Belichick said.

The Raiders were especially so last week, when Rice caught nine passes for 183 yards and hardly looked 39 years old.

“It’s a huge challenge for us, and I think our defensive players have seen it from when we started looking at Oakland last week and going over the scouting report,” Belichick said.

For Gannon, tonight will be about getting to the AFC title game--not about reliving the Patriots’ long-ago error.

“I don’t really consider New England one of the stops on my journey in my career because I actually never really spent any time there,” he said. “A lot has changed and a lot has happened in the 15 years since I was drafted.”

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Striking It Rich

After serving as a backup for most of his 14-year NFL career, Rich Gannon has had a rebirth in Oakland and enjoyed three solid seasons as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. Here’s a look at his career:

OAKLAND RAIDERS

2001: Had 3,828 yards passing and career highs of 549 attempts and 361 completions. Produced a quarterback rating of 95.5. Started all regular-season games and led the Raiders to AFC West division title and a trip to today’s divisional playoff game at New England.

2000: Led the Raiders to the AFC championship game, losing to eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. Started all regular-season games and two playoff games. Completed 284 of 473 passes for 3,430 yards and 28 touchdowns. Named to the Pro Bowl.

1999: Named to his first Pro Bowl after finishing sixth in the NFL in yards passing (3,840), fourth in touchdowns (24) and sixth in passer rating (86.5) in his first season as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. Also finished third on team in rushing with 298 yards in 46 carries. Led team in rushing in three games.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

1998: Started 10 of 12 games. Passed for 2,305 yards and completed 206 of 354 passes. Had 10 touchdowns and six interceptions to finish with an 80.1 rating. Rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns in 44 carries.

1997: TDCompiled a 6-3 record. Won five consecutive games down the stretch, helping the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and the AFC West crown. He completed 98 passes in 175 attempts with 1,144 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions for a 79.8 rating.

1996: Served as backup in first 12 games before being selected starter. Completed 60% of his passes for 491 yards with six touchdowns and one interception in four games.

1995: Played in two games, his first playing time since the ’93 season when he was with Washington. Signed by Kansas City as a free agent in April.

1994: Did not play. Underwent shoulder surgery.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

1993: Traded by Minnesota to Washington for a draft pick during exhibition season. Played in eight games (four starts) with the Redskins, completing 74 of 125 passes for 704 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

1992: For the third consecutive year, led the club in completions (159), yards passing (1,905) and touchdown passes (12). Compiled an 8-4 record as a starter. Earned NFC offensive player of the week honors against Cincinnati on September 27 when he completed 25 of 32 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns.

1991: Led team in completions (211), yards passing (2,166) and touchdown passes (12) despite not becoming a starter until the sixth week. Set a club record by playing in seven consecutive games without throwing an interception.

1990: Passed for 2,278 yards and ran for 268 in 12 games. Of his 182 completions, 16 went for touchdowns.

1989: Was inactive for the first three games. In the NFC division playoff game against San Francisco on January 6, 1990, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 144 yards.

1988: Was active for five games, completing seven of 15 passes for 90 yards.

1987: As a rookie, played in four regular season games and one playoff game. Minnesota acquired him from New England for two draft picks. Was acquired by Minnesota fewer than two weeks after the Patriots chose him in the fourth round (98th pick overall) in the 1987 draft.

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Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.