Three-Way QB Duel Highlights Defending Super Bowl Champion Raiders Preseason
Can former #1 overall pick QB Joe Namath revive his career in Oakland?
Will QB Steve Spurrier overcome his turf toe injury and win back his starting spot after an excellent 1968 campaign?
Was QB Tommy Wade's strong postseason form a fluke?
It isn't often that a defending Super Bowl champion has a quarterback controversy. It's even rarer that the dispute runs three ways, but that's exactly what's happening in Oakland, where there's three signal-callers, all fighting for the starting spot.
There's
QB Tommy Wade, who had an amazing final egular season game and playoff performances before throwing two interceptions in the ugly Super Bowl victory. He was rewarded with a multiyear contract in the offseason and is a proven winner, having won titles both in college and the NFL, but does he really have the talent?
QB Steve Spurrier won the Heisman at Florida and has been very good as the Raiders starting QB with a career 42 TD to 25 INT ratio over two seasons. He's the most polished of the three candidates and figures to be the #2 QB if he doesn't win the starting job.
And then there's
QB Joe Namath, signed to a one year deal in the offseason. The #1 overall pick in the 1965 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals,
he has yet to throw a regular season pass in the NFL. The Raiders' coaching staff says he's raw, but raved about his upside in training camp, saying it was clear why Namath was a former #1 pick.
Namath, for his part, ripped the Bengals organization, calling them "absolutely clueless" and a terrible team to play for. There's merit in his words, as Cincinnati is 35-108-1, for a league-worst 24.6% lifetime winning rate. They're also one of three teams, along with Minnesota and Atlanta, to not yet have made the playoffs.
The Bengals have stuck with
Roman Gabriel for all of Namath's career, despite Gabriel's 113/121 TD/INT ratio and 28-78-1 career record.
The Raiders made headlines when they traded
RB Floyd Little in the offseason and will continue their carousel at RB by starting first round rookie
RB Mercury Morris.
Here's a further look at the roster breakdown.
Code:
Wachsmuth, Leon 3 QB 10 30 30 1 yr.
Wade, Tommy 13 QB 6 34 34 3 yrs
Namath, Joe 11 QB 5 30 46 1 yr.
Spurrier, Steve 1 QB 3 36 36 2 yrs
Although the coaching staff has declared the starting job open, we're betting it comes down to either Spurrier or Namath, pending the outcome of the preseason battles.
Code:
Triplett, Bill 46 RB 8 35 35 1 yr.
Montgomery, Ross 21 RB 1 11 17 3 yrs
Morris, Mercury 25 RB 1 46 55 4 yrs
Wiese, Ellis 39 FB 10 36 36 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 34 FB 2 47 51 3 yrs
There's a lot of buzz around the Morris/Csonka backfield. Let's hope for the Raiders it pans out. Montgomery is a virtual lock to be cut.
Code:
Brewer, Johnny 88 TE 10 30 30 1 yr.
Prebola, Gene 84 TE 10 50 50 2 yrs
Throckmorton, Deron 16 TE 10 25 25 1 yr.
Mertens, Jim 86 TE 1 19 33 3 yrs
Dowler, Boyd 87 FL 11 71 71 2 yrs
Coolbaugh, Bob 82 FL 9 36 36 1 yr.
Poage, Ray 81 FL 7 51 51 1 yr.
Love, John 89 FL 3 32 32 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 83 SE 6 68 68 2 yrs
Briscoe, Marlin 85 SE 2 32 41 2 yrs
Prebola/Dowler/Warfield is still the best starting group of passcatchers in the league. Getting former Raiders draftee Poage back was huge, and the staff is high on emerging 2nd year Briscoe. This is a sign of how even better the Raiders' already frightening receiving corps is - Coolbaugh, the #3 WR for many years, is now the #5 WR.
Code:
Barton, Jim 53 C 10 34 34 1 yr.
Flanagan, Ed 57 C 5 64 64 4 yrs
Hawkins, Wayne 67 LG 10 55 55 2 yrs
Arpaijian, J.T. 65 RG 10 25 25 2 yrs
Schnitker, Mike 64 RG 1 27 44 3 yrs
Vogel, Bob 74 LT 7 65 65 4 yrs
Pillath, Roger 78 RT 6 47 47 5 yrs
Freitas, Rocky 70 RT 3 19 23 2 yrs
The Raiders play fire with their offensive line depth every year. It didn't cost them last season, despite losing
G Dan Manoukian for the year, but the shallowness, especially at the tackle spots, is alarming. Pray for Vogel and Pillath's health, Raider fans.
Code:
Johnson, Curley 18 P 13 78 78 2 yrs
Yepremian, Garo 10 K 4 60 60 1 yr.
Eventually Johnson will retire, but not yet. Yepremian will be here forever.
Code:
Mays, Jerry 91 LDE 9 40 40 2 yrs
Ramirez, Wesley 90 RDE 10 29 29 1 yr.
De Long, Steve 98 RDE 5 55 55 4 yrs
Humphrey, Claude 75 RDE 2 21 27 2 yrs
Greenwood, L.C. 73 RDE 1 17 34 3 yrs
**Birdwell, Danny 92 LDT 8 55 55 1 yr.
Dotson, Al 79 LDT 5 44 44 4 yrs
Contoulis, John 76 RDT 8 40 40 1 yr.
Cornish, Frank 72 RDT 5 46 46 1 yr.
Birdwell is out for the season with his ACL knee injury sustained late last season and his career might be done, too. Mays-Dotson-Cornish-De Long for the year, but Super Bowl MVP Mays is almost finished as a starter. Interesting battle will be if 3rd round rookie Greenwood can break into the rotation after a head-turning camp.
Code:
Morris, Dennit 58 MLB 12 26 26 1 yr.
Tracy, John 97 MLB 11 33 33 1 yr.
Cummings, Ed 96 MLB 6 42 42 1 yr.
Healy, Chip 55 MLB 1 6 15 3 yrs
Beauchamp, Al 59 SLB 2 70 70 4 yrs
Stratton, Mike 93 WLB 8 50 50 3 yrs
Crutcher, Tommy 51 WLB 6 38 38 1 yr.
The coaches are expecting big things out of Beauchamp in his second season. This is one of the best looking Raiders units we've seen in a long time, maybe ever in terms of starters.
Code:
Montalbo, Mel 42 LCB 8 27 27 1 yr.
Sharockman, Ed 23 LCB 8 46 46 1 yr.
Nettles, Jim 43 LCB 5 50 50 1 yr.
Lavan, Al 22 LCB 1 22 35 3 yrs
McRae, Bennie 47 RCB 8 52 52 3 yrs
Summers, Freddie 31 RCB 2 14 19 2 yrs
Clarke, Hagood 35 SS 6 50 50 1 yr.
Atkinson, George 41 SS 2 38 50 2 yrs
Glick, Freddy 28 FS 11 52 52 2 yrs
Gremminger, Hank 37 FS 14 23 23 1 yr.
Hackbart, Dale 20 FS 10 34 34 2 yrs
Latourette, Chuck 38 FS 3 25 30 2 yrs
Nettles and McRae will be the starting corners, Clarke and Glick the safeties yet again. They need legitimate young talent here, though, unless Atkinson can prove he's worthy of replacing Glick when the time comes.
The Raiders could very well repeat, but the annual powerhouse Cleveland Browns will pose a stiff test in the AFC and the rising Seahawks are an NFC power.
Preseason
Seattle 7
Oakland 26
Um, yeah. So much for the Seahawks huh?
DE Jerry Mays with 9 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.
CB Bennie McRae with 2 pass defenses and 2 INTs.
CB Jim Nettles with 3 pass defenses. Our D still rocks.
QB Battle
Steve Spurrier - 6/11 - 60 yards
Joe Namath - 16/21 - 120 yards - 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Hmm.
Oakland 16
Chicago 20
Super Bowl rematch goes to the Bears. No statistical standouts.
QB Battle
Steve Spurrier - 4/6 - 37 yards
Joe Namath - 23/37 - 203 yards - 1 TD, 2 INT
Okay, let's see what
Tommy Wade can do as the #2 QB.
Oakland 24 San Francisco 10
Always nice to stomp our Bay Area rivals, even in preseason.
S Hagood Clarke with 3 pass defenses,
CB Jim Nettles with 2.
QB Battle
Steve Spurrier - 5/9 - 50 yards, 1 INT, 2 fumbles
Tommy Wade - 18/27 - 171 yards - 2 TD
Can it be? Wade wins?
Starting
LG Wayne Hawkins sprains his wrist and is Out 5 weeks. Starting
MLB Ed Cummings strains his toe ligament and is Out roughly 3 weeks.
MLB John Tracy takes over for Cummings,
MLB Chip Healy is cut, and third year
G Tom Regner is signed to take Hawkins' spot in the lineup.
Green Bay 17
Oakland 27
RB Mercury Morris rushes 18 times for 120 yards, outdueling
RB Floyd Little's 10 rushes for 43 yards.
S Hagood Clarke defends two passes.
QB Battle
Tommy Wade - 12/15 - 100 yards - 1 TD
Steve Spurrier - 13/19 - 164 yards - 2 TDs
Tough call, but Wade was the more consistent one and the guy who led us to the Super Bowl last year, so he miraculously becomes the starter, albeit with a short leash.
Final Cuts
RB Ross Montgomery
TE Jim Mertens
CB Freddie Summers
Regular Season
Oakland 10 Denver 9
Ugly win, but
QB Tommy Wade does just enough in going 25/32 for 196 yards and a TD in winning PotG to get us the victory.
MLB Ed Cummings is back to Probable.
Washington 21 Oakland 20
Outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter. Fucking embarassing.
WR Paul Warfield's 11 catches for 154 yards and a TD is great.
QB Tommy Wade's two second-half picks to lose us the game = him yanked down to #3. We're not doing that shit again.
LG Wayne Hawkins back to Probable.
QB Steve Spurrier the starter.
Cleveland 24 Oakland 10
WR Paul Warfield 8 catches for 169 yards and
WR Boyd Dowler 7 catches for 108 yards and we're beat by 2 TDs. Go figure.
QB Steve Spurrier and
QB Joe Namath both got in on this one, although neither one impressed and
S Hagood Clarke's 11 tackles and 3 assists felt real damn hollow.
WR Marlin Briscoe goes down a week with a minor injury.
Oakland 3
New England 6
Can you say Super Bowl hangover? 2 pass defenses by
CB Ed Sharockman, but our offense is sputtering under
QB Steve Spurrier. 6 points in two games won't cut it. I'm turning to
QB Joe Namath, picks be damned.
Kansas City 24 Oakland 19
Outscored 14-0 in the third quarter. Don't blame
QB Joe Namath; he was 30/40 for 226 yards and 2 TDs in his NFL starting debut.
DE Steve De Long 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. I'm just disgusted with the team right now. No way we should only have one win.
WR Marlin Briscoe back.
Buffalo 13
Oakland 20
Beautiful 88 yard punt return TD by
S Hagood Clarke. 10 tackles, an assist, a sack by [b]SLB Al Beauchamp/b] as we win despite 3 picks by
QB Steve Spurrier, who wasn't supposed to be starting. Still, a win's a win.
Oakland 27 New York Jets 17
First game all season where things clicked.
RB Mercury Morris with 15 carries for 112 yards.
QB Joe Namath flaring out 27/38 passes for 303 yards and 2 TDs.
WR Paul Warfield with 12 catches for 118 yards and a TD,
WR Boyd Dowler catching 7 for 129 and a TD.
Miami 10
Oakland 26
CB Ed Sharockman and
WLB Mike Stratton each had 2 interceptions and we had 5 total against the Dolphins.
K Garo Yepremian was 4/4, all from 40+ range. Defense and special teams propels us back to .500.
The Chiefs are 7-1 at the midpoint and I don't think we'll catch them, but at 4-4, we're just a half-game behind 5-4 somebody for the last wildcard spot, so our season is still salvageable, now that we've decided to stick with Namath for the long haul.