BANG, POW, PKKKRRRRRRRRR!!! by Astrocreepbm

SHELL's GAS

Art Shell has just been hired as the Raider's new head coach, which was very surprising as he was not their first, second, third, or probably even fourth option. His NFL numbers pretty much speak for themselves, going 56-41 with 3 playoff appearances. But what does this mean for the fantasy gems in Oakland like Randy Moss and Lamont Jordan?

QB - Only one QB has started a full 16 games in a season under Shell, and that was Jeff Hostetler in 1994. Hoss also was the only one to throw over 20 TD, throwing exactly 20. Many years their was a 2-way split at QB. The QB stats where not great, but then again Shell had Jay Schroeder mostly and no one named Moss, so there is definitely a chance for improvement. So as far as Collins goes, don’t expect 30 TD and 4000 yards, but 20 TD passing and 3000 yards is definitely feasible if everyone stays healthy. That’s if Collins is even the QB though.

RB - You ready for this? Here are some names: Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Eric Dickerson. Here’s some numbers: 0. Yep, during the Shell regime their was never any RB that rushed for 1000 yards. In 1994 Harvey Williams fell just short with 983. Well, don’t get too sad Jordan owners, because it’s not that bad. Jackson never had a 1000 yard season, Allen only had 3, and Dickerson was at the butt-end of his career in L.A. Don’t expect a huge improvement, but I’d say his numbers should jump up a bit. Even though the numbers did not point to it, the L.A. Raiders usually had a good rushing attack.

WR - Now we’re talking. The WRs under Shell enjoyed some success. The best year being Tim Brown’s 89 catches, 1309 yards, and 9TD season in 1994. The L.A. WR spot under Shell has been very kind, with the leading WR averaging 60 catches, 940 yards, and 7 TD. While the numbers are certainly respectable, they should be way higher with a healthy Moss. I predict this will be his “comeback” year. Also, don’t forget Jerry Porter, as Shell’s offense spreads the ball to different WRs. Then again, when can you ever rely on Porter? He is about as reliable as John Mayer in a bar room brawl.

OVERALL - Expect more of the same from the Raiders. They will be better simply because Moss, Jordan, and Collins will all have one more year of experience together under their belts. However another new coach should counteract that. The only player that should benefit greatly is Moss, who should have a great season. Lamont Jordan should have first round consideration, and obviously you can rate Moss high as usual, but don’t bank on Collins. Shell has shown in the past that the QB position is not his strongest suit, and he definitely isn’t afraid to make changes.