How painful was the Oakland Raiders' 34-13 loss to the Redskins?
It was so painful, it left Raiders' starting quarterback Bruce Gradkowski with two -- two! -- torn MCLs, and Raiders fans actually shouting from the stands for Charlie Frye.
Gradkowski appears finished for the season, after tearing one MCL in the first quarter. He stayed in the game. He then tore the MCL in the other leg in the second quarter.
You can't question Gradkowski's toughness. He's vowing to try to make it back this season. "See what the MRI says tomorrow but who knows?"
Gradkowski told USA Today. "I don't count myself out. You never need surgery with MCLs. I'll do whatever I can to get healthy fast, if I can."
It's true, torn MCLs do not require surgery. And they don't typically end a guy's season. But they do typically require 3-4 weeks recovery time, and there are only three games left in the Raiders' season. It doesn't hurt Gradkowski's motivation to make it back that he's a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
For the Raiders it may mean going back to JaMarcus Russell. Russell's stats in relief of Gradkowski weren't that awful. He went 10-of 16 for 74 yards, but his average completion was for less than five yards. Fans were, in fact calling for Charlie Frye when Russell was in the game.
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Monte Poole wrote in the Oakland Tribune, "Frye has distinguished himself for his current team by sitting in on meetings and carrying a mean clipboard."
Frye is, at least, mean in one capacity.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is sad that fans within 75 miles of the Oakland Coliseum were denied the sight of a Raiders quarterback hobbling it through a live game with two torn MCLs.>
