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The revamped offense will spring LaMont Jordan, who had only three 100-yard games in '05. Simon Bruty/SI

2006 Schedule Date Opponent Date Opponent Sept. 11 SAN DIEGO (M) Nov. 12 DENVER Sept. 17 at Baltimore Nov. 19 at Kansas City Sept. 24 Bye Nov. 26 at San Diego Oct. 1 CLEVELAND Dec. 3 HOUSTON Oct. 8 at San Francisco Dec. 10 at Cincinnati Oct. 15 at Denver Dec. 17 ST. LOUIS Oct. 22 ARIZONA Dec. 23 KANSAS CITY (S) Oct. 29 PITTSBURGH Dec. 31 at New York Jets Nov. 6 at Seattle (M) (M) Monday (S) Saturday Breakout Player Fabian Washington, CORNERBACK Of the five first-round picks the Raiders have spent on DBs since 2001, Washington has shown the most promise. Blessed with 4.3 speed and sharp instincts, the former Nebraska standout turned heads in '05 as a rookie by holding his own against top receivers in 11 starts. This summer the 5'11", 185-pound Washington has been more consistent in his reads and coverage, and he opened the preseason with a pick against the Eagles in the Hall of Fame game. He looks like the long-term answer to the departure of Charles Woodson.

Back in Silver and Black, Art Shell is cracking the whip,and the Hall of Fame tackle is starting with the offensive line

THE BELIEF Art Shell, who played 15 seasons with the Raiders and coached them from 1989 through '94, returns to the helm to yank this once proud club out of the doldrums brought on by three straight losing seasons. He can handle the demands of overbearing owner Al Davis and lay down the law for underachieving players.

THE REALITY Shell's most valuable commodity is his credibility. His players talk about his no-nonsense approach and the respect he still commands following a Hall of Fame career at tackle. He's also more hands-on than predecessor Norv Turner. "If we're doing a drill incorrectly, Art will stop the drill and point out exactly what everybody should be doing," says Pro Bowl defensive end Derrick Burgess. "That never happened last season. The coaches would see a problem and say they'd deal with it later, but it would never get fixed. Art handles things immediately."

It may seem odd to hear a player laud Shell for such a simple thing, but that's how bad it had gotten in Oakland. The team needs to be whipped into shape. Turner may have been too soft, but Shell doesn't hesitate to get in a player's face.

When wide receiver Jerry Porter clashed with the coach last February over Porter's desire to do his off-season conditioning in Florida, the incident ended with Shell booting Porter out of his office. Porter demanded a trade, leaving his status with the Raiders uncertain. The 59-year-old Shell has been just as assertive in his dealings with the rest of team. "When I got here, I saw that all these guys needed was some direction," he says. "They were looking for somebody to tell them what they needed to do to win again. I basically told them that I had high expectations for them and that they needed to have high expectations for themselves."

Of all the shortcomings Oakland has on both sides of the ball -- last year the club led the NFL with 147 penalties and ranked 27th in defense -- reviving the offense will be Shell's biggest challenge. The Raiders are counting on free-agent quarterback Aaron Brooks to avoid the mistake-prone play that cost him his job in New Orleans. A less complicated game plan, built around a power running game, will ease the pressure on Brooks.

Another key to the offensive transformation will be the play of a revamped line. Robert Gallery moves from right to left tackle. Barry Sims slides from left tackle to guard. Langston Walker moves from left guard to right tackle. Rookie Paul McQuistan, a left tackle at Weber State, is slated to start at right guard. Center Jake Grove, the one player in the same position as last year, injured his shoulder in camp and may miss the opener. In addition to the hard work needed to quickly become a cohesive unit, the linemen will be charged with making most of the protection calls, instead of the quarterback. Walker says the assignment adds pressure, but Shell likes the idea of Brooks having more time to focus on the play that's been sent in. "We want [Brooks] to know he doesn't have to do it all by himself," Shell says. "When I watched film of him in New Orleans, that's what usually got him in trouble."

Shell, after all, knows a thing or two about line play, and the players believe in him. "There used to be a time when teams were afraid to play us," says fullback Zack Crockett. "With Art here, I think we can get back to that place." -- Jeffri Chadiha

Issue date: September 4, 2006