Bruce Gradkowski is heading home and the Oakland Raiders quarterback wouldn't mind if he and his teammates were greeted with a blanket of snow.

"Being from Pittsburgh and playing at Toledo ... you face all the weather you can face," Gradkowski said Thursday. "It'll be a nice fall, winter day. I'm looking forward to it. Early December, we might get some snow flurries. It'll be good."

Gradkowski grew up in the Steel City, played in college at the University of Toledo in Ohio and his mother still lives 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Several other relatives also live in the area, making for a homecoming of sorts for the Raiders' journeyman quarterback who as a youth frequently attended Steelers games at Three Rivers Stadium and at the team's new home at Heinz Field.

Now he comes in as Oakland's starting quarterback trying to salvage what's left of a dismal season.

The Raiders are 3-8 and coming off a 24-7 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Gradkowski passed for 200 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys, and in two-plus games already has thrown for more than half as much yardage (546) as JaMarcus Russell (1,064) did in nine starts.

Gradkowski has started twice before in Pittsburgh, once as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2007 and in Week 17 last season shortly after he signed with the Cleveland Browns. He passed for just 18 yards and compiled a quarterback rating of 1.0.

"It's always nice going back to Pittsburgh," Gradkowski said. "You have to have fun with it. My family, my cousins, they're die-hard Steeler fans. Last year when I was with the Browns it was hard for then. They wore neutral colors but I think being with the Raiders this past year and getting to know these guys and being with this team, I know I'll have the family behind me on this one."

There's been some speculation Oakland will put Russell, the top overall draft pick in 2007, back into the starting lineup at some point this season. The Raiders, who invested more than $60 million in Russell, need to have a better idea where _ or if _ he still figures into their future plans.

Oakland coach Tom Cable is sticking with Gradkowski for now and hopes to find some balance to the offense against Pittsburgh.

"You've got to have enough run," Cable said, "But you've got to be able to do it throwing the football."

The weather in Pittsburgh is expected to be in the mid- to upper 30s this weekend but snow is not in the forecast.