Why Russell Should Start

  Yes! I said it.  Jamarcus Russell should start for these last seven games and I'll explain why.

  For starters, this season is all but over already.  As much as I would love to see upset wins against the Bengals, Steelers and Cowboys on Thanksgiving (finally something to be thankful for) the only thing we (Raider Nation) are playing for is to avoid another consecutive 11 loss season.  At this point I am already looking at our draft position,5-10. 

  #2, At this point it is better to rebuild than to try to compete for a lost cause.  Russell made great strides last year in the last 6 games.  This year Russell led the Raiders on a comeback drive in the final minute to win at K.C.  He showed he has the potential, but needs the consistency.  If Russell keeps struggling then we know all hope is lost and we know to find a new QB this off-season, free-agency or the draft.

  Next, does anybody think that Bruce Gradkowski or Charlie Frye will be the next Jim Plunkett.  They will come off the bench and lead this team back to greatness.  With all do respect to both of them, I don't think they are the long-term answer.  Russell has the potential to be the long-term answer if he develops in these last weeks of the season and maintains the progress this time and carries it over to next year. 

  It's not like Russell is the only one to blame.  Yes he throws inaccurate passes that sail or nose dive on receivers.  Yes, he seems like he doesn't care and yes his work ethic appears to be low and he may be only in football for the money.  But when he puts a ball on the money to his receivers, they drop it.  As I sat in the stadium on Sunday against the Chiefs I was chanting with the other 45,000 fans,"Russel sucks, Russell sucks" but then I started to think we should have chanted "offense sucks". Russell's passer rating would be much more respectable if he had a receiver with solid hands.  Now that Chaz Schilens is back he can be a reliable target that Russell has not had.  Even Drew Brees would have trouble if he had DHB and Louis Murphy as his targets. 

  So even though Russell has the turnover, work ethic, body conditioning and accuracy problems I don't see us any better off with anybody else on the current roster.  Let him finish what he started, a lousy season, and we can change QBs in the off-season and hopefully break through this QB cycle next year. Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper all tried to succeed at this job, who's next.