At first sound, the most truthful observation from the Raiders' 38-0 debacle at the feet of the New York Jets – they ran the ball down Oakland's throat to the tune of 316 rushing yards Sunday – came out of the visitors' locker room.

"When our run game works like that," mused Jets rookie signal caller Mark Sanchez, "anybody could play quarterback."

Well, anybody but Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Yes, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 draft was that bad. He was so bad for the Raiders, he was good for the Jets. Until getting benched in the second quarter, two of Russell's three turnovers gift-wrapped touchdowns, as Sanchez simply had to take the Jets a grand total of eight yards for an insurmountable 14-0 lead.

The pick he threw into the end zone he called a "50-50" ball for Todd Watkins? Said coach Tom Cable: "It's pretty obvious that would have been a tough (catch) for Superman."

And yet, while the Raiders' collapse was so epic, so complete, it was Russell who literally dropped the ball for a team riding high following an upset over Philadelphia.

Russell couldn't even get his team lined up in the correct formation for the first play from scrimmage.

So was it any surprise that Russell, who has a hard time sensing pressure, was strip-sacked by defensive end Calvin Pace after Pace bull-rushed Khalif Barnes and went vertical to knock the ball away so the Jets could recover Russell's fumble at the 4-yard line? Barnes, a career left tackle, was making his first NFL start at right tackle.

"Unacceptable," Barnes said of his getting run over by Pace. "I take full responsibility for that. You can't let the quarterback get hit on the first play of the game because that would do something to their psyche.

"That first touchdown's all on me. That first play is going to haunt me."

How refreshing, a Raider showing accountability. Here's hoping Russell, fast becoming an All-Pro at deflecting criticism, is listening.

Ten offensive plays later, Russell was throwing off his back foot to tight end Zach Miller, and the pass was woefully short. So short that Jets safety Jim Leonhard caught it in stride and returned it to the Raiders' 4-yard line.

Two plays later, Sanchez ran the ball in and punctuated the score with a left-handed dunk over the goal post.

Ballgame.

Especially with the Raiders' run defense pulling such a ridiculous disappearing act that Jets third-string rookie running back Shonn Greene rambled for 144 yards on 19 carries.

"I don't think we could've beat an Oakland high school team," said defensive end Richard Seymour, continuing the trend of owning mistakes.

Still paying attention, JaMarcus?

"When he's comfortable enough to do that, mature enough (and) feels good about where he's at as a quarterback, I think that will happen," Cable said Monday, when asked if he would have liked Russell to address his shortcomings. "It comes with the development of the position. You have to be at a place where you can handle it."

Now, journeyman Bruce Gradkowski may have provided a spark and the offense started to move with him under center. But he is not the long-term answer.

Yet even Gradkowski offered a mea culpa for his miscue, fumbling inside the Jets' 30-yard line midway through the third quarter when New York led 24-0.

"That's going to kill me," Gradkowski said. "If I take care of the football there, we score and that changes a little momentum."

Hmmm, more accountability. Interesting concept.

"Hopefully it will fire him up so then it doesn't happen again," Miller said of Russell's benching, "that he'll work that much harder and really put in all the effort that he can to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Yes, the difference between winning and losing is all about execution. Accountability is also important. And until Russell finds some, he risks losing the locker room, even as Cable reiterated that Russell remains his starter entering Sunday's game in San Diego.

"I don't think it's me personally, I really don't," Russell said following the game. "It's a bad combination.

"Personally, I don't think so. Do you?"

Call The Bee's Paul Gutierrez, (916) 326-5556, and read his Raiders blog and more on the team at www.sacbee.com/raiders.