PRO FOOTBALL REPORT WEEKDAY UPDATE : RAIDERS : Shell Credits Backs’ Unselfishness

Coach Art Shell said the secret of his team’s success is that players have been giving up personal goals for the sake of the team.

“If you want to be a part of something, you have to leave your egos at the door,” he said. “The guys have done that.”

He cited the tailbacks in particular. Marcus Allen and Greg Bell, both stars, have shared the position, meaning each gets fewer carries and fewer yards. “That’s the greatest example right there,” Shell said. “With those guys, there are no complaints. It’s just going out and playing football and working, practicing. They get in games and they root each other on. There are no problems with them.”

Bell, coming off consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Rams, has gained 88 yards in 23 carries this season. By contrast, he gained 417 yards in 76 carries with the Rams through three games in 1989. Allen, the Raiders’ all-time leading rusher with 7,404 yards, has 129 yards in 29 carries in 1990.