In the beginning, all was wonderful as the perennially under-appreciated Campbell was set to erase the memory of he who shall not be referenced and help return the Raiders to respectability. In the minds of Raider Nation and Mr. Al Davis, it was a matter of when, and not if.
Once the games began, it was ugly and bitter as Campbell failed to grasp the offense, held the ball too long and generally looked frazzled and scared playing a game that's second nature to him.
It was strange, confusing and upsetting all at the same time. Campbell had never looked this bad, unprepared or gun-shy at any time in his NFL career.
Do the Raiders really destroy quarterbacks, you had to ask, or was there something else at play here?
Campbell was unceremoniously yanked at halftime of a winnable game against the Rams for fan-favorite Bruce Gradkowski, who played servicably in a Raider win. Gradkowski also played decent to well in narrow defeats to Arizona and Houston the following weeks before being knocked out of the San Diego game in the first quarter.
Re-enter Jason Campbell, who played lights-out in the Raiders' comeback victory over the Chargers, the first such victory in their last 13 contests against the division rival.
Campbell went on the next week to have his worst game as a pro. The Raiders, as a whole, folded after failing to score in the red zone on two early attempts, and the entire team looked like they didn't belong on the same field with the 49ers.
The winless, Bay Area-rival 49ers, at that.
At that point, Raider Nation couldn't wait for Bruce Gradkowski to get healthy again, forgetting Campbell's stellar play against the Chargers the week before. I was as guilty as anyone of this sentiment.
Ove...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
