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r But LA.'s Great Thursday, August I : Raider Players xLeft of Normal' By RICH TOSCHES CPI Sporti Writer - LOS ANGELES iL'PI) Tight end Todd Chnstensen. who knows about these things, says most of his Los Angeles Raiders teammates are "left of normal." Head Coach Tom Flores offers a more graphic assessment when asked how he conducts a team meeting. "The first thing I do is open the door and throw in some raw meat and then close the door real quick,'" Flores says. "When the noise subsides. I'll come in. By ISFL Sizeups 30, 1984, THE HERALD, Provo, Utah - PageOA .,il;ii: .1, Hi;' former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern Cal slumped during the regular season of his sophomore year, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry and settling for a gain as his longest run. But against Seattle in the AFC championship game, the shifty, deceiving runner and pass catcher turned on the brilliance that made him the NFL's leading rusher his rookie season. And in the Super Bowl, he swept through Washington to earn the MV P award. Also back are the wide receivers, old man Cliff Branch and young Malcolm Barnwell and Calvin Muhammad. Toss in the premium tight ends. Chnstensen who has been a training camp holdout but is expected to show-ueventually) and New England-impoDon Hasselbeck, and the Raiders have a very talented collection of deep and medium-threa- t receivers. In summary, the Raiders will field virtually the same offense than piled up 38 points against the toueh Redskins. It will be defensively, however, where the Raiders shine above all comothers. Flores' raw-mements were directed mostly at this band of renegades who take an enormous amount of pride in being able to physically derail any offense in football. The pounding starts up front, o with veteran Lyle Alzado and Howie Long at the ends. They spend half of the season congratulating each other, showing a real affection between teacher and student. They spend the other half knocking the daylights out of anybody they can find across the line. The middle is guarded by nose tackle Reggie Kinlaw in the front. Raiders' three-ma-n p that time they're docile and some of them are kind of dozing. I have a guy in the back with a machine pun in case something happens ... and a guy on the other side with a they 11 come whip. Eventually, around and sit up ... get out of stances and sit in their four-poia chair." 'lores' description, of course, joke. Not. however, to the Washington Redskins. It was the pwr Skins that felt the full fury of the Raiders in the Super Bowl last January. The Raiders simply grabbed the Redskins by their heels and started shaking. When it was finally, mercifully over, it was Raiders 38, Redskins 9. They're back again, these Los Angeles-base- d brutes with the Oakland personalities, and they should be even better than last season. Starting with the offense, the first thing opponents encounter is the front line. Returning are all five Super Bowlers, tackles Bruce is a Davis and Henry Lawrence, guards Charley Hannah and Mickey Marvin and center Bruce rt All-Pr- Backing them up are men Greg Townsend and Bill Picket, who showed truckloads of NFL teams Ed Muransky, potential last season as pass rushShelby Jordan, Curt Marsh, Don ers. The new man in town is Mosebar, Steve Sylvester and Jim defensive end Sean Jones, Romano. drafted out of Northeastern. The Jordan, Marsh or Mosebar Raiders figure to break him in could crack the starting lineup or slowly, but their expectations are one or two of them could be high. traded. At linebacker, the Behind that offensive line has Ted Hendricks stands Jim Plunkett, who has Stork been labeled washed up more flown the coop into retirement often than a bottle with a note in but the Raiders are it. Replaced by talented Marc with Matt Millen, Jack Squirek, Wilson midway through the 1983 Rod Martin and Bob Nelson. The whipped cream on the season. Plunkett got his job back when Wilson banged up his shoulRaiders' sundae, however, is the der. The Raiders didn't lose a defensive secondary. Mike Haynes (another New England-import- ), game the rest of the way. Lester Hayes. Vann Rumors in the last two months Mike Davis, Odis McKin-nehad Wilson starting the season as the top dog. Kenny Hill and Ted Watts "Hell no," roared team owner form, without question, the toughAl Davis recently. "Jim Plunkett est secondary in the league. An appearance in the Super will be our starter. He gets us going. We've won two Super Bowl in January, 1985, seems a Bowls with Plunkett." good bet for the Raiders. As San End of rumor. Diego Coach Don Coryell puts it, Joining Plunkett in the back-fiel- d this is "likely the best team will be Marcus Allen. The that's ever been on the field." second-ye- ar Dalby. Backing them is a group that would start on most other l- Jrm-v-- t - ' - takes moneyto make money." 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