Tui's time: Raiders bench quarterback Collins
As anticipated, the floundering Oakland Raiders switched starting quarterbacks on Wednesday, benching Kerry Collins and elevating little-used five-year veteran Marques Tuiasosopo to the No. 1 spot for Sunday's game against the New York Jets.
| Kerry Collins | ||||||||||||||||||
 QuarterbackOakland Raiders Profile |
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
The move had been broadly hinted at by embattled coach Norv Turner on Monday, when he acknowledged at his weekly news conference that a change was being contemplated.
The start will be only the second of Tuiasosopo's career, but the former University of Washington standout said he is eager to try to reverse his team's fortunes. The Raiders are 4-8 and are virtually eliminated from playoff contention.
"It means a lot to me," said Tuiasosopo, a second-round choice in the 2001 draft. "I am excited to get out there and play and, along with the rest of the guys in this locker room, find a way to win a ball game this week."
Tuiasosopo, 26, has appeared in just eight games in his career, and his lone previous start was Nov. 2, 2003, when he completed six of 11 passes for 65 yards, with no touchdown passes and one interception in a 23-13 loss at Detroit. For his career, Tuiasosopo has 28 completions in 49 attempts for 358 yards, with no touchdown passes and three pickoffs, for a passer rating of 54.6.
 | |
| Tuiasosopo |
He will become the 55th different quarterback to start a game in 2005. The demotion of Collins means that, come this weekend, only 14 franchises will have used the same starter in every game.
Along with the Oakland offense in general, Collins has slipped considerably following a fast start to the season. The 11-year veteran threw just two interceptions over the first seven games of the season and had an efficiency rating of 90.0 or higher in all but two of those contests. In his past five outings, however, Collins has recorded a passer rating of higher than 75.0 in just one game and has thrown eight interceptions in that stretch.
There have been rumors that the Raiders could part ways with Collins after this season or force him to dramatically rework his contract in order to remain with the team. Collins is due a $2.5 million roster bonus and a $6 million base salary for 2006, and his salary cap charge for next season is a prohibitive $12.987 million. In contrast, Tuisasosopo is to earn a base salary of just $477,000 in 2006.
Turner did not say on Wednesday what his plans are for the quarterback position beyond this weekend, but team sources acknowledged the Raiders want to get a solid look at the younger Tuiasosopo as they evaluate the team for the future. Tuiasosopo said, however, that he was told he would start the final four games.
One advantage Tuiasosopo figures to have over Collins is his mobility. Although his résumé includes just six rushes for 22 yards, Tuiasosopo has good running skills and will add some escape dimension to the position. Obviously, he welcomes the opportunity to show his wares, but insisted getting a win for the slumping Raiders is more important than any individual achievements.
"We have four games left, and we have to find a way to get a win and to start feeling good about ourselves again," he said.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here 
.
- Schefter: On the Saints and Colts
- Rumors: Eagles plan to get nasty
- Millman: How to bet football
- Tools: PickCenter | Game Predictor
- Draft: Mel's Big Board (11/25) | NFL draft blog
