OAKLAND, Calif.
— As the final, pointless minutes drained from the Raiders’ 23-3 loss to Denver on Sunday, even the some of the blind loyalists, the Kool-Aid drinkers, were wrinkling their noses and spitting it out.
They evidently had seen enough of their beloved Raiders, who submitted perhaps their least-inspired performance in 15 games under coach Tom Cable, dating to last season.
And they definitely had seen enough of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who ran to three his season-opening streak of faulty performances.
The exodus from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum began early in the fourth quarter and gained momentum after Oakland punted from its end zone with 9:19 left to play, thousands fleeing through every visible aisle.
Even the Raiders, at least those willing to be honest, conceded this was a sorry display of NFL football.
“We have to play better,” Cable said. “The fans deserve a better football team than what we showed today.”
Those fans obviously thought so, as their response was harsh and relentless, most of it directed at Russell.
The light shower of boos raining after the Raiders’ offense opened with three plays and a punt intensified when the second series ended with Russell being intercepted by Broncos safety Renaldo Hill.
And when Oakland’s third series ended with Russell heaving another pick, there was enough disgust from the three-quarters-capacity crowd (45,602) to shake the stadium.
Though this was a team loss, a burden for coaches and players, the blunt end of the wrath landed upon Russell. He was blasted each time he came out to open a series, fans alternating from vociferous booing to chanting a vulgarity.
It was at least as loud as anything experienced by the likes of Donald Hollas or Kerry Collins or Josh McCown — all failed Raiders quarterbacks past.
That Russell represents the future makes it worse. He has Al’s full support — until further notice — and his salary is commensurate with being a franchise quarterback. Moreover, there is no plan for change. Does anyone really believe the answer is Bruce Gradkowski or Charlie Frye?
Is the venting upon Russell fair? Probably not. But one of the many reasons quarterback is the most challenging position in sports is because it receives a disproportionate share of blame, no matter how much there is to go around.
