"The breathing on the back of his neck is gone, vaporized, and with it the doubt that had entered his mind.

Jason Campbell can go back to single-minded concentration on football.

After being subjected to the quickest quarterback hook in Raiders history --11/2 games before being replaced -- Campbell now operates with practically zero concern about being removed. The job is all his, for better or worse, playoffs or no playoffs.

The first 12 games of this season represent Campbell's trial by fire in Oakland. Having survived without the slightest trace of envy or bitterness, he is in a position where the next four, beginning in Jacksonville on Sunday, will determine not only whether the Raiders make the playoffs but also if they have their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

All Campbell has to do to on his behalf is stay healthy and play like a star.

And hope his running backs stay healthy and play like stars.

And hope his offensive line outdoes itself.

And hope rookie Jacoby Ford isn't the only receiver making impact plays.

So while the circumstances may present Campbell a wonderful opportunity, the conditions represent an enormous challenge.

"It's been a roller-coaster ride, not just for me but for a lot of guys on this team," Campbell said after practice Wednesday. "To be in the position we're in now, still in the fight and still in the hunt to try to do something special, it means a lot. Because of all the things you had to try to overcome, it just makes things that much more special if we're able to get it done."

Never mind that Campbell has been the best quarterback on Oakland's roster ever since he arrived in an April trade with the Washington Redskins, or that this has been acknowledged by the same coaching staff that turned to backup Bruce Gradkowski at halftime of the second game."