P-Rez25

ALAMEDA -- The Raiders are all about new looks these days, but there's one that is new from a historical perspective.
The Raiders are all into the shotgun formation. Although they have used it on occasion in the past, it's been almost an afterthought.

"My rookie year when I first came in they said with Norv (Turner) it was the first time they had ever done it," said center Jake Grove who arrived in 2004. "We did it a little bit last year, but it seems like we might be in it a little more. Then again, we're working on situations right now, so you never know."

It makes sense. When rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell was at LSU, the Tigers made extensive use of the shotgun -- and Russell felt comfortable with it.

"I like it a lot," Russell said. "You get to see things more before it happens. When the ball gets in your hands, say you are running short routes, you're able to get it out quick by looking downfield instead of looking back for play action or something like that.

"Whatever it is the coach needs and calls I'm going to do it. I did both at LSU."

Credit coach Lane Kiffin with ratcheting up the frequency of the formation in the Raider culture. However, he's not going hog wild.

"It's really something that is not a big, huge emphasis for us on first and second down situations," he said. "It's (in) more of a third down or long yardage situation.


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