It's JaMarcus' team now

NAPA — JaMarcus Russell will start for the Raiders in front of the home crowd at McAfee Coliseum tonight, beginning his first full season as Oakland’s franchise quarterback after a rookie year marred by a lengthycontract dispute.

A full season of Russell at quarterback gives the Raiders hope that they will reverse a five-year losing trend. Russell has impressed in offseason workouts and practices but he needs to show he can do it in games now.

“They want to see it on the field,” he said. “We go through it in practice every day. That’s the presence that a quarterback has with his team and I think it’s coming along.”

Russell didn’t get the chance to show much as a rookie. He played catch-up after missing all of training camp before signing his $61 million contract three days after the season began.

When the Raiders played their first exhibition game a year ago, Russell was back in Atlanta working out and trying to focus on what he was missing.

“It was hard for me to watch knowing I was supposed to be there,” he said.

Russell didn’t step on the field until December, coming off the bench in three games before starting the season finale against San Diego. Coach Lane Kiffin named him the 2008 starter soon after Russell’s rookie season ended.

Russell showed signs of what the Raiders hope will come in the future when he completed 23 of 31 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.

Russell has displayed inconsistency typical of a young quarterback in training camp, where he has shown off impressive physical skills and the ability to check down when receivers aren’t open down field.

“He’s doing exactly what we want him to,” Kiffin said. “I do think we have a very good secondary, so there’s a number of plays where our guys are covered up. ... We’re playing a lot of young receivers, so I think the quarterback is doing exactly what we want and we’d like to get open more often for him.”

LB/DE Grant Irons continues to be hampered by a strained hamstring, and is unlikely to face the 49ers tonight.

Andrew Walter has missed several practices recently. Kiffin said the backup QB is “tired from too much throwing,” but is expected to play tonight.