Q: Does Art Shell make it through the season, or come back next year as the Raiders head coach, and who do you see as the right guy?
— Robert Jessop, Vacaville, Calif.

A: I don’t know if Shell has done the worst job among NFL coaches, but I’m pretty sure he has the worst job among NFL coaches. Therefore, I don’t think “the right guy” exists at the moment, because it’s simply the wrong job. The declining health of Al Davis and the lack of support, direction or leadership underneath Davis forces the coach to work on an island that oftentimes doesn’t even include his players. There’s not much Pride and Poise in the organization these days and frankly, I can’t see it changing anytime soon. My guess is Shell can come back if he wants to come back, and since he’s one of the few prideful Raiders left, he will. He should be heralded for trying to make a near-impossible situation work.

Q: Who’s the most underrated running back out there today? I vote for Tennessee’s Travis Henry. He’s been better than the guy Buffalo ditched him for in Willis McGahee and it’s not like the Titans have featured him all season.
— Charlie, Huntsville, Ala.

A: Henry definitely would be in the discussion. So would San Francisco’s Frank Gore, who leads the NFC with 1,217 yards and an eye-popping 5.5-yard average. He’s been under the radar. So has Minnesota’s Chester Taylor, whose 265 carries leads the NFC. Chicago’s Thomas Jones and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook also have been underappreciated despite gaining more than 900 yards so far. Over the years, Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor would have to get votes for most underappreciated career. You’re right about Henry outperforming McGahee this year. The Bills figured they were getting McGahee cheap with the 23d pick in the 2003 draft, but if he’s not any better than Henry, they could have used that pick at another position, say a receiver like Anquan Boldin or tight end like Jason Witten. And if they really thought they needed an upgrade at running back, Larry Johnson didn’t go until the 27th pick.

Q: Will the Browns ever return to the Glory Days? Should they get a new coach? Maybe go for Bill Cowher? Will they ever get a good QB like Tony Romo?
— J.C., Cleveland

A: The idea of going for Cowher would provide the Steelers the ultimate incentive to pay him. I like the idea, and so would he. But just like Romeo Crennel, Cowher would need to add more good players. Quarterback remains an iffy position, which any Cleveland fan can trace all the way back to Otto Graham. Charlie Frye has showed flashes, but not yet the steady progress Romo has shown so far in Dallas. Finding Romo involves as much luck as anything, and the Browns are due some. They’re still reeling from the 2000 draft, when they were looking for a quarterback in the sixth round and took Spergon Wynn. Sixteen picks later, the Patriots took Tom Brady.

Q: Do you think that J.P. Losman will ever progress to the level of a semi-elite QB? The local press is giving him way too much cred for a couple of last-minute drives, calling it his “coming out” party. I believe he didn’t throw a TD in either of those games. I think the Bills’ last couple of wins are in spite of Losman’s performance. I think they need to look elsewhere, either in the draft or a free agent. I think they’d get much more mileage out of [Byron] Leftwich, [Chris] Simms or even [Joey] Harrington. What say you?
— T.B., Rochester, N.Y.

A: I say be careful what you wish for. Another team’s quarterback is not necessarily the answer. I’d advise patience on Losman for one more season. He’s shown enough in spurts this year to warrant more time, not that the Bills wouldn’t benefit from beating the bushes for alternatives.

Green Bay’s former general manager, Ron Wolf, had a rule of thumb to draft a quarterback every single year somewhere down the line. He did it despite having the iron man of all quarterbacks, Brett Favre, and his habit paid off in Mark Brunell, Ty Detmer, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks and Craig Nall. All but Detmer remain in the league.

Just because Losman deserves a longer look doesn’t mean his ego is so fragile he can’t stand competition. If it is, then he’s not the guy. And the answer isn’t to keep recycling people like Kelly Holcomb and Joey Harrington; it’s to keep drafting and signing new guys and giving them chances. If players like Marc Bulger, Jake Delhomme, Kurt Warner, Trent Green, and Tony Romo can come out of virtually nowhere, there are others hiding out there, too. Meanwhile, Losman’s passer rating ranks him 12th among all NFL quarterbacks, not bad for a team that is 5-7.

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