The Oakland Raiders returned to the practice field on Wednesday to begin preparations for their Week 14 showdown with the undefeated Green Bay Packers and running back Darren McFadden was once again absent. The general belief is that he might return against the Detroit Lions, but that would seem to be in a limited capacity at best. Hue Jackson is still not sure of the timetable for McFadden's return, which would seem to limit his chances of getting back even for the Lions game.
Steve Corkran tweeted that he believes there is an 85-90% chance McFadden returns for the Lions game. If he gets in some limited practice reps at some point this week that number is reasonable. However, if McFadden is a DNP for the entire week of practice, I would suggest the odds drop to about 50% at best. Given that he has been out for more than six weeks now, he is going to need a solid number of practice reps to effectively return. Once he does return, he will start as Bush's backup and slowly work his way back into the starting lineup. The team would like him healthy for the playoffs, but at this point they are in danger of missing those playoffs.
For more on Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride.