OAKLAND -- A few days earlier, the lilt and the optimism had returned. JaMarcus Russell, the disappointment, faced the media and the music.
“There’s better days to come,’’ Russell finally said of his earlier demotion from the starting lineup. “Just move on with it.’’
What a great introduction for his second act, whenever that might arrive. JaMarcus was dealing with his failings, dealing with reality, understanding that when you’re the No. 1 pick in the draft, when you’ve been given a contract guaranteeing $31 million, the demands are high and patience short.
The opportunity arrived Sunday, in the gloom and rain of the Oakland Coliseum. Bruce Gradkowski, who had taken over, and successfully, for Russell a month earlier, went down with medial cartilage damage in both knees. Now, unexpectedly, the Oakland Raiders again were JaMarcus’ team.
He couldn’t produce. It wasn’t only Russell’s fault. The Raider offensive line couldn’t block. But when Gradkowski left, Oakland still was in the game, trailing 17-10 at the half. And then, seemingly becoming dispirited and definitely becoming disoriented, the Raiders collapsed.
Maybe it was the incessant booing from the announced crowd of 44,506, Raider fans already deciding Russell would be their target, especially when his passes can’t find their target. Maybe it was the situation, and the O-line, JaMarcus getting sacked six times, when Gradkowski only got nailed twice. Maybe it’s JaMarcus Russell, who in his third season gives no indication he’ll ever be a competent NFL quarterback, no matter his salary or ranking in the draft.
With Russell in there, the Raiders were out of there, eventually getting beat 34-13 by the Washington Redskins, one of the few teams with a record worse than Oakland’s. Until the game. Now both are 4-9. And now the questions about Russell’s progress are even more unavoidable.
JaMarcus just can’t escape the rush. He takes too long to find a receiver. He is immobile. And, of course, added to the problem, he plays for the Raiders, a franchise destined to have an 11-loss season for a seventh consecutive season.
“I thought it was a tough situation,’’ Raiders coach Tom Cable said of JaMarcus. “Could he have done better? Probably, but everybody could have.’’
Indeed, this was a team loss. Eight sacks in all. Fourteen penalties for 118 yards, two of those, each at 15 -- one for not giving enough space for a fair catch of a punt, the second for arguing the call -- at the same time late in the second quarter.
The 30 yards moved the Redskins from the spot of the catch, their own 10, to their own 40. In four plays, they swept to the touchdown that broke a 10-10 tie and seemingly broke what little resistance the Raiders had presented before that sequence.
“We had the opportunity to take another step forward,’’ said Cable, alluding to last Sunday’s upset of the Steelers and a blown chance to notch a second straight victory in 2009.
“We did not do that. We had too many penalties. There was not enough flow offensively. Defensively we struggled in the first half, and then we were never able to come back, make a stand, do anything in the second half.’’
Which is the half JaMarcus Russell played quarterback, throwing 16 passes, completing 10 for 74 yards, having the obligatory interception and, of course, getting sacked those six times for 52 yards.
Yes, Cable conceded, there was a discussion about pulling Russell and bringing in the third-stringer, Charlie Frye, meaning Russell could not return. But the Raiders stayed the course to oblivion.
When Gradkowski became the starter three weeks ago and the Raiders surprised the Bengals, the Raiders were uplifted. This guy, they implied, gives them the know-how and the electricity. He makes the other players better, as do all good quarterbacks.
When Russell moved in for the third quarter, the life went out of the Raiders. Maybe it was more perception than actuality, but it appeared they knew they were doomed. Which they were. Cable said he has confidence in “whoever we put out there or you can’t put them out there,’’ but do those on the field have confidence with JaMarcus?
“I think the guy can succeed,’’ Cable said of Russell. “I’ve not ever said he couldn’t.’’
Whether he means that is hard to discern. The fans may have given up on Russell -- you almost feel sorry for the way he’s treated -- but Raider management hasn’t. At least on the record. You think they’re going to stand up and say, “Sorry, folks, we were wrong’’?
Russell didn’t say anything after the game. He fled before the media entered the locker room.
Cable said the Raiders need to get “Russell where he needs to be,’’ and no, that isn’t on the sideline.
“Every quarterback is different,’’ Cable said. “Some guys get it quicker. Some guys take longer. We just have to keep working, helping him get where he wants to be. It’s a difficult position to play in this league.’’
For JaMarcus Russell, unfortunately, so far it’s an impossible position.
