Raiders Win to Share First With 3 Others

The Raiders are back in first place, although it’s not the way it used to be. They’re rebuilding and contending at the same time, and besides, they have company. The Chiefs are tied with them, as are the Broncos and Seahawks.

The Raiders dropped the Chiefs, 19-10, Sunday before 55,133 at the Coliseum to precipitate a convention at 3-2 in the AFC West. The division has been at work five weeks to gain a one-game lead on the Chargers.

It was less than the domination the Raiders are used to--they scored only one touchdown--but look at it another way. Three weeks ago, the Chiefs scored 27 straight points against them. Two weeks ago, the 49ers left them for dead and sent their No. 1 quarterback to the hospital. Their No. 2 quarterback went down last week. They seemed ready to start rookie Rusty Hilger this week.

They didn’t decide on Marc Wilson until Thursday. They used three more offensive line combinations Sunday, and called Wilson’s plays for him, another first. The Raiders have had great seasons, and a few bad ones, but nothing in recent history like this.

Wilson: “The times are changing. This isn’t the sixties anymore, where you come out with big guys and run ‘em over. It isn’t that way. Every team you play now is talented, especially in our division. You’ve got to work hard and fight like crazy and hope you come out on top when the game’s over.”

And in the Raiders’ case, you take it one step at a time. Two weeks ago, they had no established quarterback, an offensive line threatened by whiplash, and one wide receiver, Dokie Williams, who counted.

Sunday, Wilson ran an offense that gained 381 yards. The other wide receiver, rookie Jessie Hester, caught three passes for a 19.0 average.

And Marcus Allen had his first 100-yard game of the season, gaining 126 after another of those coincidences following the re-insertion of Dave Dalby at center.

A week ago, the running game sprang to life after Dalby went back in and Don Mosebar was switched back to right guard in Mickey Marvin’s place. Coach Tom Flores said later that might have been due to the heat and Patriot fatigue and went back to his original starters.

Sunday, the rushing game had zero yards in five rushes when Marvin went down with a knee injury. Back came Dalby and over went Mosebar. After that, the Raiders gained 141 in 29 carries, a 4.9 average.

Linebacker Rod Martin said the defense had such confidence in the offense, it didn’t feel obliged to score even once.

“It was very nice of Rod to say that,” Wilson said, smiling.

Wilson could use something nice. No announcement was made that he was starting. Both defenses were introduced before the game. There was a lot of speculation it was going to be Hilger until the Raiders got the ball and Wilson trotted out.

Alert Coliseum fans, of course, booed.

Wilson’s three possessions in the first quarter netted one first down. He took two sacks. Allen rushed for four yards in four carries.

The Chiefs did a little better. Their first play from scrimmage, a draw to Herman Heard, gained 22 yards.

Their second play from scrimmage, a pass from Kenney to Henry Marshall, who ran a fly against Mike Haynes, was complete for 38.

Two plays, 60 yards. The drive bogged down and Nick Lowery came in to kick a 36-yard field goal. This was a safe bet. Lowery had kicked 9 of 10 this season, with three over 50 yards, including the 58-yarder he drilled against the Raiders. His one miss had been from 55.

Early in the second period, the Raider rush started dropping in on Kenney. Howie Long sacked him for an 11-yard loss back to his nine-yard line. Moments later, Jim Arnold squibbed a 30-yard punt out-of-bounds at the Kansas City 45.

From there, Wilson took the Raiders in, hitting Hester for 18 yards, Jim Smith up the middle for 14 and a first-and-goal at the nine and moments later, Smith again for six and the score.

The rest of the second period and the third went like that, assorted Raiders jumping on Kenney. They had six sacks. He noted he had two missing tackles, Matt Herkenhoff and Dave Lutz, who went out with injuries.

Kenney: “We went from two good drives in the opening quarter to the next one stalling and then both tackles got hurt and we didn’t do anything for the next two quarters.

“You lose 40% of your offensive line and you’ve got trouble. . . . The defense simply overpowered us. People just missed assignments and let ‘em come free. Especially on play-action passes. Sometimes I just sat down before somebody hit me.

“In the fourth quarter, I just told the backs, ‘Don’t go out until you see everybody’s been blocked.’ ”

In the second and third periods, the Raiders held the Chiefs to 46 yards. But in the fourth, the imp popped out of the bottle.

Trailing 13-3, with a third-and-20 at his own 38, Kenney hit Marshall for 21 yards. On the next play, he hit Anthony Hancock running a fly pattern against Haynes for 41 yards and the touchdown.

Haynes getting beaten for a touchdown in Kansas City by Carlos Carson was surprising. Haynes getting beaten again by Marshall for a long gainer in Sunday’s first quarter was more surprising. Haynes getting beaten for this one, too, was staggering.

Howie Long: “The play in the fourth quarter when they beat Mike Haynes? We had a good pass rush and he had good coverage. He was on that kid like a glove. That’s how dangerous Kansas City is. They’re kind of like the new San Diego of the AFC West. They’ve got four of the best wide receivers as a group anywhere.”

The Chiefs had their chances after that. Once a Wilson pass was tipped at the line and grabbed by the Chiefs’ No. 21, none other than that old Raider favorite, Odis McKinney.

McKinney had the ball and about 60 yards of open sideline ahead of him, when he was leveled by, surprise, another Chief. It was Scott Radecic, coming over to help on the play, who wound up blasting his teammate and knocking the ball loose. Ex-Raider destiny, you might say.

“I got nothing to say, man,” said McKinney later. “Nothing to say.”

The Raiders got the ball back leading 13-10, needing to keep it a while. They did. Wilson drove them 49 yards, close enough for Chris Bahr’s 41-yard field goal and ate of 5:11 in the process.

Trailing 16-10, the Chiefs drove to the Raider 48 with 3:45 left. The drive died there with Lester Hayes throwing a blanket over Carlos Carson, resulting in a third-down incompletion.

Carson was also called for interfering with Hayes. Hayes celebrated profusely, and where Carson could see, resulting in a 20-man discussion on the field.

“This little guy. . . . There were some intangibles he did in Kansas City, high schoolish stuff, BS,” Hayes said. “I was extremely perturbed at him. Nobody does that to the silver-and-black. If you catch a touchdown pass against the silver-and-black, you should be happy just to keep your teeth.”

The Chiefs got the ball again, still trailing 16-10, with 1:51 left. This time, Kenney threw a desperate interception to Vann McElroy.

Raider fans created a silver blizzard, throwing their complimentary Commitment to Excellence seat cushions in the air. Survival was assured for another week, and all things were still possible, even excellence.

Raider Notes Can Marc Wilson feel the Raider organization making up its mind about him as he goes? Wilson: “I don’t want to say yes and make it a negative statement on their part, and I don’t want to say no, and make it appear like I have everything under control. I’m not at the point where I can say this is my job and I’m gonna have it the next 10 years. The way I’m approaching it, it’s a week-to-week thing. We need to play well every week and win and I need to play well every week.” . . . Mickey Marvin was hospitalized after the injury to his left knee. He was to be examined further Sunday night. . . . Howie Long had two sacks, giving him five for the season. Rod Martin had two, giving him 4 1/2. Bill Pickel and Brad Van Pelt had one. . . . Other offensive line news: Charley Hannah returned to left guard. Bruce Davis, who’d been subbing at left guard, took over for Shelby Jordan at left tackle. . . . The Raiders’ next game is against the Saints Sunday at the Coliseum.