Filed under: Raiders, AFC West, NFL Injuries
The Raiders entered this season with one clear strength on their roster: running backs. In their 23-8 win on Sunday at Kansas City, they were all on display as Oakland bulldozed the Chiefs' defense to the tune of 300 yards on 47 carries, led by veteran Justin Fargas and youngsters Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Trouble is, only one of those guys appears to be healthy heading into the teams week three game against the surprising Buffalo Bills.
Fargas hasn't practiced all week and could miss the next two games, while McFadden has been sitting out practice with a case of turf toe. Head Coach (for now) Lane Kiffin insists McFadden could play right now if he had to, but fact is he's not 100%. That means the only completely healthy back in the Oakland backfield is second-year man Michael Bush, who in his first NFL action on Sunday rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries. He could be getting quite a bit more work this Sunday.
If the Raiders are without Fargas and/or McFadden for any amount of time it could be a tremendous blow to their offense. Crushing, more like it. Especially since JaMarcus Russell only completed five passes on Sunday while Javon Walker, the $55 million man, still can't make it through practice, let alone suit up on Sunday's.
If the Raiders get desperate, perhaps they should consider putting DeAngelo Hall out there on offense, seeing as how there's almost always a touchdown scored when he's on the field.
