Coming into this season, much was made of Oakland’s acquisition of quarterback Jason Campbell and many felt his presence would right the ship, so to speak, pushing the Raiders back from the depths of despair they’ve inhabited in recent years.

Those feelings came to a screeching halt earlier today, as Oakland’s head coach Tom Cable pulled Campbell from his starting role and sent him to the bench, switching Campbell out in favor of backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski.

While Gradkowski was anything but spectacular in his return to the field, he did lead the Raiders to a much needed win over a lesser opponent in the Rams, muddying the waters considerably in Oakland with regard to who will start at quarterback next week.

For his part, Cable refused to commit to Campbell being the starter going forward, saying he needed to look at the game film before making a decision. And while most head coaches would have the final say on such matters, there’s little doubt that the decision on who to play rests solely in the hands of team owner Al Davis, who is on record as having compared Campbell to the former Raiders great Jim Plunkett.

As such, it would be surprising to say the least if Oakland decides to stay with Gradkowski as the starter for next week’s game on the road against the Cardinals, even if Cable feels otherwise. That said, Campbell is most definitely on a short leash for the time being, and any signs of struggle will likely be met with a trip to the bench in a hurry.

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