The Oakland Raiders could have used the gamechanging ability of Darren McFadden on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Although Carson Palmer, Michael Bush and Jacoby Ford put up their best front and tried to keep the offense moving in the right direction, the Raiders ultimately missed McFadden's ability to churn out big yards. Oakland sputtered on one too many drives and ended up handing the ball back to Tim Tebow, Willis McGahee and Denver, who torched Oakland on the ground and worked down the clock in a big-time road win.
Can McFadden be healthy in time for this Thursday's game? It's not looking good. Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle has this report.
@VittorioTafur
Vittorio Tafur Running back Darren McFadden (foot) hasn't started running yet ... Can he really play in 3 days?
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If McFadden is out, can the Raiders hope to keep pace with the high-powered San Diego Chargers offense? Phillip Rivers just torched the Super Bowl champs, so it's not likely that Oakland will be able to keep him down for too long. Bush and Taiwan Jones need to be ready to shoulder a heavy load on short notice, because both will be desperately needed to punch some holes and not force Palmer to throw all game long. Oakland needs balance, and that's something they'll probably be lack without their star tailback in.
To discuss McFadden and the Raiders even further, go to Silver and Black Pride.