In his first full year as a starter, JaMarcus Russell has not been able to display the talent that made him the no. 1 overall choice in the 2007 NFL draft.
With the struggles of the offense, the changing of coaches and the lack of performers around him, its been hard for Russell to make his mark. And after weeks of not finding the end zone and even missing his first game due to injury, words like ‘bust’ began to creep in the head of Raider fans.
Especially when other young passers around the league such as Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have had moments for their teams that give a glimmer of hope or that solidify their position with the fan base.
Prior to the win today in Denver, Russell had not had a moment or game in which fans could take in and savor knowing their young passer made some strides in his development.
Russell was 10-of-11 for 152 yards, one score and no interceptions in the Raiders 31-10 victory against the Broncos. Not exactly epic stats but steady enough to snatch a rare road victory against a hated rival. And more importantly, it gives the fan base their first signs that Russell can be the ‘franchise passer’ they hope.
Last time the Raiders won in Denver, Russell was a freshman at LSU.
Now, as the 23-year-old savior, Russell could add this to his short resume as a defining moment in his career.
Yes, he has turnstile tackles that cannot be relied upon, a receiving corps that needs some major upgrading and the daunting task of spearheading an organization that has compiled a historically horrid record the last six years while being one of the most dysfunctional franchises in sports.
But through all of that, and a week after finding out that his godmother, Teresa Roberts, died of cancer, Russell showed strength and the poise needed to help the fledgling franchise turn their fortunes in the coming years.
Earlier in the year, you could critique his decision-making, his indecisiveness in the pocket and not relying on his athletic ability enough to make plays. All that can be learned.
What can’t be taught is toughness, coolness under duress and maturity. And Russell has shown that he has all of that along with great physical attributes that not many passers in the league possess.
This year has been a test for him; not scoring consistently, losing with regularity and unstable working conditions.
But for one afternoon in Denver, he was almost perfect in his stat line, the team won and after an emotional week, a flight back to Oakland with a better feeling than what he had last week.
One things for sure; Raider fans will have a more lucid outlook of their quarterback.
