Bruce Gradkowski returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this weekend disappointed he won’t be starting but preparing in case the Raiders need someone with actual experience beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.
Gradkowski’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy capped an 88-yard drive with no time outs in less than two minutes as Oakland scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and beat the Steelers 27-24.
Playing in his hometown in front of friends and family, Gradkowski completed 20 of 33 passes for 308 yards. When the Raiders arrived in town, Gradkowski had most of the team over to his parents’ home for a home cooked meal.
Less than a year later, Gradkowski goes back to Pittsburgh as a backup to Jason Campbell, having not played in a month because of a sprained A-C joint in his throwing shoulder.
Coach Tom Cable was adamant Gradkowski would remain the starter until last week, when instead he said he was leaning toward going with the hot hand. He made it official this week, naming Jason Campbell, the starting quraterback throughout a three-game win streak, as the starter.
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