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Monday, September 16, 2002

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

When Bill Callahan, rookie coach of the Oakland Raiders, was asked a few days ago if he would mimic the New England Patriots' successful offensive game plan against the Steelers -- pass, pass and pass some more -- he made light of the idea.

If the Raiders were to abandon their potent running game and go with no-huddle, empty-back sets, Callahan suggested, "we'd have six running backs knocking on my door."

His door might be torn from its hinges this morning.

The Raiders passed a franchise-record 65 times in their 30-17 pasting of the Steelers last night at Heinz Field, and that figure doesn't begin to convey the length to which Callahan committed to attack by air:

Quarterback Rich Gannon finished 43 of 64 for 403 yards, the most attempts of his career, with a touchdown and two interceptions.

The no-huddle and empty-back sets were utilized twice as often as the Raiders' typical three-man backfield.

Seventeen of the Raiders' first 18 plays were passes. So were the next 20 after a 36-yard touchdown run by running back Charlie Garner late in the first quarter.

Garner, who in Oakland's opener rushed for 127 yards and averaged 8.5 per carry, finished with 56 last night, most of that coming on his touchdown. He carried just six times.

Wide receiver Jerry Rice, a month shy of his 40th birthday, had 11 catches for 94 yards, his highest total since he played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2000. He had only two catches in the season opener last week and didn't have more than nine in a game last season.

Even when the Raiders had the game in hand in the second half, they wouldn't stop passing.

"I didn't want to pull in the reins," Callahan said. "I didn't want to take my foot off the pedal."

So, coach, about that game plan?

"Well, not really," Callahan replied when asked if he had been influenced by New England's 30-14 victory against the Steelers last week, when the Patriots threw 43 times, including 25 in a row. "There's no question we liked what we saw, and it helped us confirm our thoughts. ... But this is something we had in mind way back in the off-season when we saw Pittsburgh would be the second game on our schedule."

The plan wasn't designed as much to pick on the Steelers' secondary as it was to take advantage of their blitzing tendencies.

"We thought we could spread them out, open up the eight-man box," Callahan said. "If you do that, you neutralize the blitz."

As for Callahan's pregame statements that he wouldn't go all-pass, he acknowledged the smoke screen.

"The plan going in was to throw. It always was. The players knew that. They knew it Monday morning before the Steelers played that night."

Gannon, a candidate for the NFL's most valuable player last year, typically took quick drops of two or three steps, sized up the defense, checked his options and fired. When he didn't like what he saw, even when he had time, he flung the ball out of bounds. No play seemed to take more than a split second.

Add to that the Raiders' formidable collection of wide receivers, highlighted by Rice but complemented by wide receiver Tim Brown and tight end Roland Williams, each of whom had seven catches. Then mix in Garner catching the ball out of the backfield for five more, and the Steelers didn't seem to know which way to turn, whom to double-cover and, most significant, when or whether to blitz.

"With their scheme, they bring so many guys hard to the ball," Rice said. "We've had some success with our passing game, so we decided we would go with it in this game."

Despite all the coaches' and players' comments to the contrary.

"Well, yeah," Rice said. "We wouldn't be going in putting our cards on the table. I think we caught them by surprise."

He added that the Steelers shouldn't be taken by surprise when their next opponent does it, either.

"I think they're going to be faced with this from every team they play this year. They're just going to have to find a way to deal with it."