Raiders Report

Kaufman, a mainstay of the Raiders' running game for the past several years, has found himself overshadowed for the second season by Wheatley.

And this season, quarterback Rich Gannon is stealing some of the spotlight with his rushing ability.

"I've just tried to stay true to the fact that if the coaches want to give me the ball more - they'll give me the ball more," Kaufman said.

Wheatley leads the Raiders with 171 carries for 746 yards and eight touchdowns, despite sitting out two games with sprained ankles. Kaufman follows with 89 carries for 471 yards, but no scoring runs.

Gannon has run the ball 74 times for 443 yards and four touchdowns.

Kaufman, the team's starter two years ago, admits it's hard to get into a rhythm without regularly getting his hands in the ball.

"When you get an opportunity, you just want to do the best you can," he said.

At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Kaufman is fast and agile, in contrast with the 235-pound Wheatley. He calls himself the Raiders' "change of pace guy."

Coach Jon Gruden, who says the Raiders' running game is spread around "by committee to a degree," admitted he was disappointed with Kaufman's five carries for just 16 yards against the Steelers last Sunday. The Raiders (10-3) lost 21-20.

"I think all the backs are running it, catching it and helping us in some situations. We'd like to get more out of Napoleon. We'd like to get more out of Wheatley, honestly. We'd like to get more out of everybody," Gruden said.

Kaufman, a sixth-year player out of Washington, has spent his career with the Raiders. His best season was in 1997, when he rushed for 1,295 yards and six touchdowns.

Quiet and reserved, Kaufman - an ordained minister - often reads the Bible in the locker room. Last December he signed a deal that will keep him with the team through the 2002 season.

Al Groh said. "Until I got within 15 yards of them, they were yelling, 'You don't want to come down here, we kill coaches.' "

Groh didn't flinch.