ANALYSIS : It Could Be Time for a Bigger Move : Pro football: Raiders replace their offensive coordinator, but the problem could be the offense itself.

They benched quarterback Jay Schroeder.

But still they lost.

They demoted receiver Mervyn Fernandez.

But still they lost.

They sat out running back Eric Dickerson at the end of several games.

But still they lost.

So Wednesday, the 0-4 Raiders went to Plan D: Sack Terry Robiskie.

Coach Art Shell removed Robiske from his post as offensive coordinator and gave the job to Tom Walsh, whose previous duties consisted of breaking down film and putting together the scout team, which emulates the upcoming opponent.

Is this a constructive change or merely the quick fix of the week?

Is Robiskie simply the latest scapegoat in a season in which the problems seem to far outweigh the solutions?

This much is known: Robiskie has not thrown an interception, fumbled a ball, run a poor route or missed a block.

He did not design the offense. Nor did he stock it with personnel.

He did call the plays, but he had been doing so for the previous two seasons as well. In 1990, he called plays well enough to guide the Raiders to a 12-4 record.

Officially, all concerned dismissed any significance to Wednesday’s move. The Raider offense, team officials said, will not change.

So why make the move?

“That’s personal with me,” Shell said. “That’s inside the staff.”

But it will be hard to escape the conclusion that, in making the switch, Shell is pointing the finger at Robiskie for the Raider offensive failures.

“They can point fingers all they want,” Shell said. “Terry has done an outstanding job. That’s all I’m going to say about the situation.

“Terry will still be a big part of what we do. Terry still has a big say in our offensive game-planning. He’ll still have his offensive input. We’ll just have someone else calling the plays.”

Walsh, too, did his best to discourage further speculation.

“We’ll be running the same plays,” he said. “We’ll be blocking the same way. It’s still the Raider offense. This doesn’t make a difference. There’ll be no marked difference in philosophy. They still have to go out and block and tackle. They still have to go out and play football, regardless of who is calling the plays.”

That leaves the switch looking largely cosmetic.

Asked his feelings on the change, Robiskie said: “I got no feelings. I just go to work. . . . I wasn’t running the whole show anyway, even though that’s what people think.”

Robiskie, 37, who also coaches the tight ends, will continue that duty. Outwardly, it doesn’t appear that the move was motivated by any friction between Robiskie and Shell or any other Raider officials. But, as offensive coordinator, Walsh will assume command of the offense in practice.

Walsh, 43, has been with the Raiders since 1982. A former head coach at U.S. International University in San Diego, Walsh was offensive coordinator at Murray State in 1980 and the University of Cincinnati in 1981. He also served as offensive coordinator when Mike Shanahan became the Raider coach in 1988. But that was thought to be mostly a title, because Shanahan was known to favor calling his own plays. Walsh kept the job for the remainder of the 1989 season after Shell replaced Shanahan.

But in 1990, Shell gave the job to Robiskie, a former running back with the Raiders and the Miami Dolphins.

This year, the Raiders drew criticism in the season opener for continually running on first down against the Denver Broncos, even after the Broncos switched to an eight-man front.

Shell acknowledged after quarterback Todd Marinovich threw 59 passes against the Cleveland Browns that the offensive mix was way out of balance. But the choice of plays that day was dictated by the Raiders playing catch-up from the first quarter after falling behind, 14-0.

There have been many factors contributing to the offensive malaise: the inconsistency of Schroeder and the inexperience of Marinovich, the failure of Dickerson to show his old form at running back, the failure to give fellow running back Marcus Allen enough playing time, an injury to guard Max Montoya that has severely weakened the offensive line and injuries to Tim Brown and Sam Graddy.

But most of the criticism has been leveled at the offense itself. Many have questioned the Raiders’ refusal to experiment with some of the high-powered passing attacks of the ‘90s.

The Raiders have stuck with the standard formations that brought them so much success in their first three decades.

That was fine when they often had the best personnel, when they could flaunt their offensive weapons and dare opposing defenses to stop them.

But nobody is shrinking in terror these days.

So if changing the play calling doesn’t turn out to be the answer for an offense averaging fewer than 15 points per game, perhaps changing the plays might be the next step.

And that means Plan E: Pointing the finger where it ultimately belongs, at the people who designed the offense, Shell and owner Al Davis.