With Shane Lechler questionable for this Sunday's all-important matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders did their due diligence and signed an emergency punter to the practice squad.
The Raiders have signed emergency punter Danny Baugher to their practice squad, the National Football Post reports. Baugher played this season for the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives.
So much for the old "Stays in Vegas" motto.
If you're going to have to resort to a UFL punter for a game with enormous playoff ramifications, Danny Baugher is the right guy to resort to. He led the UFL with a 44.6-yard average this season.
With any luck, the point of signing Baugher will be moot. Lechler may be good to go by Sunday, but Raiders coach Tom Cable isn't leaving anything to chance in the biggest home game of his head coaching career.
If the Raiders beat Indianapolis Sunday, they can make the playoffs only through wining the AFC West outright by beating the Chiefs Jan. 2, combined with a Chiefs loss to Tennessee this Sunday plus a San Diego loss or tie to Cincinnati and/or Denver in the Chargers' final two games.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer make his flight only if he beats traffic, combined with a scheduling delay by JetBlue and another passenger's loss or tie on the standby flight list.
