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NFL Game Center: Preview - Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks - 2007 4

Oakland coach Lane Kiffin.

In his long career, from being an assistant in San Francisco to his head coaching days in Green Bay and Seattle, Holmgren has always gone into the final preseason game set on his starting quarterback.

Lucky?

"I prefer fine coaching," Holmgren cracked.

The quarterback debate is at the forefront for Kiffin, who will use Thursday night's preseason finale between the Raiders and Seahawks as the final test for who will get the starting nod when Oakland opens the regular season against Detroit on Sept. 9.

The competition that began with three QBs -- all who had starting experience in the NFL -- is now down to Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper. Kiffin said Tuesday that Andrew Walter, who started eight games last season for the Raiders, would be the No. 3 quarterback.

"We're both still relatively new to this thing, as is everybody, for that matter, but at the same time, I just go out and work," McCown said of him and Culpepper. "I don't put any chips on my shoulder or make myself get going like I am the underdog."

McCown will get the start against the Seahawks, with Culpepper getting about an equal number of snaps, although Kiffin didn't say how long either will play. Other than the quarterback position, Kiffin intends on pulling most of his starters after the first series or two.

A quarterback competition of this extent likely could have been avoided if there wasn't a contentious, ongoing contract dispute between the Raiders and No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell, a holdout all summer. Kiffin's hopes of tutoring Russell in his offense, then handing him the reins vanished after Russell missed the opening days of training camp.

If Oakland cannot sign Russell by the 10th week of the regular season, Russell will not be able to play in 2007. If he's not signed by next April's draft, Russell will go back into the draft pool.

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