LFR Sports

NORVAL GETS NO BENEFIT IN BACKUP PLAYING

The whispers out of Oakland are that Raiders quarterback Kerry Collins will be benched for next Sunday's game against the Jets in favor of little-used backup Marques Tuiasosopo.

The company line was this yesterday from coach Norv Turner:

I wouldn't have brought it up if it wasn't something we're considering strongly. We're going to look at the quarterback situation and say, 'Hey, is it time to look at Tui?' With his mobility, would that help us?

Aside from another humiliating defeat, what has changed this week from the past lackluster 11 weeks? While Collins was again highly erractic, his performance wasn't a new low in quarterbacking.

The truth is, Al Davis made the call.

If Turner was so interested in seeing Tuiasosopo scramble around the backfield, then why didn't he substitute Collins in the third quarter last Sunday night? It was quite obvious that Collins was not leading the team to victory that night and bringing the backup QB would have been warranted. Instead, Collins fluttered a few more flutter balls and another interception run back for a touchdown. Right now, Y.A. Title is throwing the ball with a crisper spiral than Collins.

The notion that the Tuiasosopo's running ability is going to spark the Raiders is ridiculous. Turner has watched Tuiasosopo for nearly two years. Turner's didn't bring him into a game earlier, because he obviously has no confidence in him; or, at least, ol' Norval feels that Collins is better suited to keeping the coach's job better than Tuiasosopo can.

If Turner is hesitant to bring in Tuiasosopo then you can forget actually seeing the quarterback that would most benefit the future of the Raiders--their rookie third-round pick--Andrew Walter.

Here's hoping that Al Davis makes another call and sacks the current coach.