DECATUR, Ala. (AP)—Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain(notes) was arrested
Thursday on misdemeanor assault, firearms and other charges after police said he
fired a gun during a fight in his Alabama hometown.

McClain, 22, held a gun beside a man’s head during an altercation and the
man begged him not to shoot, according to a statement released by Lt. John
Crouch of the Decatur Police Department.

McClain, an All American at Alabama during his junior year, moved the gun
but fired a round beside the man’s ear, according to the statement. No one was
shot, but police said a man who was injured in the altercation drove himself to
a hospital, where he was treated and released.

McClain was released on $2,000 bond. He faces charges of assault, menacing,
reckless endangerment and firing a gun inside the city limits. Another man
identified as Jerradius Willingham, 23, was charged with assault and released
after posting a $500 bond.

Court records weren’t immediately available to show whether McClain had
hired a defense attorney.

McClain’s agent, Pat Dye Jr., did not immediately return a telephone call
seeking comment

Raiders coach Hue Jackson said McClain was in Alabama for the funeral of his
grandfather. Speaking before the arrest, he said McClain would play Sunday at
Miami “as far as I know.”

“I can tell you we understand and know exactly what’s going on, and we feel
very comfortable with our information and we don’t have any further comment at
this time,” Jackson said.

McClain is the Raiders’ second-leading tackler this season after joining the
team as the eighth overall pick in 2010. Although he struggled as a rookie, the
6-foot-3-inch, 255-pounder had developed into a centerpiece of Oakland’s defense
this season despite being slowed by a sore left ankle.

Earlier this year McClain, the 2009 Butkus Award winner at Alabama, reported
someone in Decatur shooting at his vehicle. There wasn’t any indication whether
the two incidents were related.

Police said the victim, whose name was not released, suffered injuries to
his head and face during a fight with Willingham. He was bleeding when officers
talked to him.

“The victim told officers that following the fight, he crawled to his
car,” the police statement said. “He said that when he reached his car,
Rolando McClain produced a pistol and aimed it at him. He said that while he was
still on the ground, McClain walked over to him and put the gun to his head.”

Police said the victim told officers “he begged McClain not to shoot him
and that McClain took the gun away from his head, held it next to his ear and
fired it.”

McClain was facing legal problems in Alabama before his arrest.

A University of Alabama student sued McClain in November 2010 claiming the
former Crimson Tide star hit him with a car and assaulted him in 2008. Stanford
Matthew Mangham filed suit in circuit court in Morgan County, where Decatur is
located.

Mangham claims McClain intentionally hit him twice at an intersection on
Nov. 13, 2008 and then slung Mangham to the ground, causing permanent injuries.
He is seeking $75,000 plus punitive damages.

McClain’s attorneys filed documents in court denying the student’s claims.

That case is set for trial June 5.

McClain’s ankle injury forced him to miss the Raiders’ 38-24 loss to Denver
on Nov. 6 when the Broncos ran for 299 yards, 118 from quarterback Tim Tebow(notes).
McClain reinjured his ankle on the first play of the second half in last week’s
25-20 win over Chicago but came back later to finish the game.

Since McClain’s return, Oakland has won three straight to take a one-game
lead in the AFC West heading into Sunday’s game at Miami.

Raiders veteran running back Rock Cartwright(notes) said he intends to talk to
McClain about his situation whenever the linebacker returns to the team.

“All you can do is tell them things, try to give them help, but if they
don’t want to be helped, then they won’t be helped,” Cartwright said. “Once he
gets back, I’ll try to put a bug in his ear and see what’s going on.”

McClain signed a $40 million, five-year contract that included $23 million
in guarantees with the Raiders on July 28, 2010.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders head into the final month
of the season in a most unusual place after an eight-year stretch
of disappointment and losses.

They stand alone in first place in the AFC West.

Oakland (7-4) has a one-game lead on Tim Tebow and the Denver
Broncos after beating the Chicago Bears 25-20 Sunday. So instead of
preparing to play out the string on another failed season, the
Raiders head into December with legitimate hopes of winning the
division and making it to the playoffs for the first time since
winning the 2002 AFC championship.

While most of the players in Oakland have little understanding
of what it takes to win meaningful late-season games or of going to
the playoffs, there are a few veterans ready to dole out
advice.

‘Seize the opportunity,” said defensive tackle Richard Seymour,
who won three Super Bowl titles in New England. ‘You’d rather play
in games like this where every play is meaningful rather than a
game where the stands aren’t filled. It’s so much more fun for
everybody. It’s a game that we’re playing. It’s not life or death.
… The bigger the game the more exciting and more fun it is.”

Next up for the Raiders is a trip to Miami on Sunday to play the
improving Dolphins (3-8). That will be followed by a high-profile
game in Green Bay that has already been moved into the national
doubleheader window to give it more exposure.

That’s a far cry from recent years when the Raiders went through
an NFL-worst stretch of seven straight seasons of at least 11
losses.

‘It’s something new around here and we’re going to try and keep
it that way,” defensive end Lamarr Houston said.

The Raiders solved a few nagging issues in the win against the
Bears with the defense limiting Matt Forte to 59 yards rushing and
84 yards from scrimmage — 55 yards below his league-leading
average coming into the game.

Oakland also committed only six penalties for 44 yards and no
personal fouls after averaging more than 10 penalties a game coming
into the week.

Seymour credits the change to players paying more attention to
detail with so much at stake at this point in the season.

‘Everyone realizes the opportunity that we have,” Seymour said.
‘You don’t want to be the guy that squandered it away. Just trying
to play smarter and still play aggressively.”

The Raiders also were able to win on a day that the running game
was held to 73 yards on 27 carries and big-play threats Darren
McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore were all sidelined by
injuries.

But Carson Palmer threw for 304 yards — his third time in four
starts with at least 299 — as the Raiders won for just the second
time in their past 22 games when they rushed for fewer than 75
yards.

‘At the end of the day I think we’re growing all across this
football team,” coach Hue Jackson said. ‘What we need to do is
still put a complete game together where we’re playing from the
first snap to the last snap and when we do that we’ve got a chance
to be a scary group of players.”

The Raiders were in contention a year ago, but knew they needed
help to end their playoff drought. They ended up losing a crucial
road game in Jacksonville and Kansas City kept winning and Oakland
finished 8-8, two games behind the Chiefs.

Now they only need to worry about their own games, knowing if
they keep winning the Broncos won’t be able to catch them.

‘It’s a good feeling for us to be able to be in first place and
not have to look, ‘Oh, hopefully somebody loses,’ Or, ‘Get this win
and hopefully this team loses,’” receiver Louis Murphy said. ‘It’s
good to be in control of our own destiny.”

Notes: The only injury from the game was LB Rolando McClain, who
tweaked his sprained left ankle but returned to action. … RB
Darren McFadden did a light workout on the practice field without a
protective boot on his sprained right foot. He has not played since
injuring the foot in the first quarter against Kansas City on Oct.
23. ‘I think that was huge,” Jackson said. ‘I think that’s a step
in the right direction.” … WR Jacoby Ford said he is making
progress to return from his sprained left foot that he hurt in San
Diego on Nov. 10 but does not know when he will be able to
practice.

Oakland (7-4) has a one-game lead on Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos after beating the Chicago Bears 25-20 Sunday. So instead of preparing to play out the string on another failed season, the Raiders head into December with legitimate hopes of winning the division and making it to the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2002 AFC championship.

While most of the players in Oakland have little understanding of what it takes to win meaningful late-season games or of going to the playoffs, there are a few veterans ready to dole out advice.

“Seize the opportunity,” said defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who won three Super Bowl titles in New England. “You’d rather play in games like this where every play is meaningful rather than a game where the stands aren’t filled. It’s so much more fun for everybody. It’s a game that we’re playing. It’s not life or death. … The bigger the game the more exciting and more fun it is.”

Next up for the Raiders is a trip to Miami on Sunday to play the improving Dolphins (3-8). That will be followed by a high-profile game in Green Bay that has already been moved into the national doubleheader window to give it more exposure.

That’s a far cry from recent years when the Raiders went through an NFL-worst stretch of seven straight seasons of at least 11 losses.

“It’s something new around here and we’re going to try and keep it that way,” defensive end Lamarr Houston said.

The Raiders solved a few nagging issues in the win against the Bears with the defense limiting Matt Forte to 59 yards rushing and 84 yards from scrimmage — 55 yards below his league-leading average coming into the game.

Oakland also committed only six penalties for 44 yards and no personal fouls after averaging more than 10 penalties a game coming into the week.

Seymour credits the change to players paying more attention to detail with so much at stake at this point in the season.

“Everyone realizes the opportunity that we have,” Seymour said. “You don’t want to be the guy that squandered it away. Just trying to play smarter and still play aggressively.”

The Raiders also were able to win on a day that the running game was held to 73 yards on 27 carries and big-play threats Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore were all sidelined by injuries.

But Carson Palmer threw for 304 yards — his third time in four starts with at least 299 — as the Raiders won for just the second time in their past 22 games when they rushed for fewer than 75 yards.

“At the end of the day I think we’re growing all across this football team,” coach Hue Jackson said. “What we need to do is still put a complete game together where we’re playing from the first snap to the last snap and when we do that we’ve got a chance to be a scary group of players.”

The Raiders were in contention a year ago, but knew they needed help to end their playoff drought. They ended up losing a crucial road game in Jacksonville and Kansas City kept winning and Oakland finished 8-8, two games behind the Chiefs.

Now they only need to worry about their own games, knowing if they keep winning the Broncos won’t be able to catch them.

“It’s a good feeling for us to be able to be in first place and not have to look, ‘Oh, hopefully somebody loses,’ Or, ‘Get this win and hopefully this team loses,’” receiver Louis Murphy said. “It’s good to be in control of our own destiny.”

Notes: The only injury from the game was LB Rolando McClain, who tweaked his sprained left ankle but returned to action. … RB Darren McFadden did a light workout on the practice field without a protective boot on his sprained right foot. He has not played since injuring the foot in the first quarter against Kansas City on Oct. 23. “I think that was huge,” Jackson said. “I think that’s a step in the right direction.” … WR Jacoby Ford said he is making progress to return from his sprained left foot that he hurt in San Diego on Nov. 10 but does not know when he will be able to practice.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders head into the final month of the
season in a most unusual place after an eight-year stretch of disappointment and
losses.

They stand alone in first place in the AFC West.

Oakland (7-4) has a one-game lead on Tim Tebow(notes) and the Denver Broncos after
beating the Chicago Bears 25-20 Sunday. So instead of preparing to play out the
string on another failed season, the Raiders head into December with legitimate
hopes of winning the division and making it to the playoffs for the first time
since winning the 2002 AFC championship.

While most of the players in Oakland have little understanding of what it
takes to win meaningful late-season games or of going to the playoffs, there are
a few veterans ready to dole out advice.

“Seize the opportunity,” said defensive tackle Richard Seymour(notes), who won
three Super Bowl titles in New England. “You’d rather play in games like this
where every play is meaningful rather than a game where the stands aren’t
filled. It’s so much more fun for everybody. It’s a game that we’re playing.
It’s not life or death. … The bigger the game the more exciting and more fun
it is.”

Next up for the Raiders is a trip to Miami on Sunday to play the improving
Dolphins (3-8). That will be followed by a high-profile game in Green Bay that
has already been moved into the national doubleheader window to give it more
exposure.

That’s a far cry from recent years when the Raiders went through an
NFL-worst stretch of seven straight seasons of at least 11 losses.

“It’s something new around here and we’re going to try and keep it that
way,” defensive end Lamarr Houston(notes) said.

The Raiders solved a few nagging issues in the win against the Bears with
the defense limiting Matt Forte(notes) to 59 yards rushing and 84 yards from scrimmage
— 55 yards below his league-leading average coming into the game.

Oakland also committed only six penalties for 44 yards and no personal fouls
after averaging more than 10 penalties a game coming into the week.

Seymour credits the change to players paying more attention to detail with
so much at stake at this point in the season.

“Everyone realizes the opportunity that we have,” Seymour said. “You
don’t want to be the guy that squandered it away. Just trying to play smarter
and still play aggressively.”

The Raiders also were able to win on a day that the running game was held to
73 yards on 27 carries and big-play threats Darren McFadden(notes), Jacoby Ford(notes) and
Denarius Moore(notes) were all sidelined by injuries.

But Carson Palmer(notes) threw for 304 yards—his third time in four starts with
at least 299—as the Raiders won for just the second time in their past 22
games when they rushed for fewer than 75 yards.

“At the end of the day I think we’re growing all across this football
team,” coach Hue Jackson said. “What we need to do is still put a complete
game together where we’re playing from the first snap to the last snap and when
we do that we’ve got a chance to be a scary group of players.”

The Raiders were in contention a year ago, but knew they needed help to end
their playoff drought. They ended up losing a crucial road game in Jacksonville
and Kansas City kept winning and Oakland finished 8-8, two games behind the
Chiefs.

Now they only need to worry about their own games, knowing if they keep
winning the Broncos won’t be able to catch them.

“It’s a good feeling for us to be able to be in first place and not have to
look, `Oh, hopefully somebody loses,’ Or, `Get this win and hopefully this team
loses,”’ receiver Louis Murphy(notes) said. “It’s good to be in control of our own
destiny.”

Notes: The only injury from the game was LB Rolando McClain(notes), who tweaked his
sprained left ankle but returned to action. … RB Darren McFadden did a light
workout on the practice field without a protective boot on his sprained right
foot. He has not played since injuring the foot in the first quarter against
Kansas City on Oct. 23. “I think that was huge,” Jackson said. “I think
that’s a step in the right direction.” … WR Jacoby Ford said he is making
progress to return from his sprained left foot that he hurt in San Diego on Nov.
10 but does not know when he will be able to practice.

Read More: Lito Sheppard (DB – OAK), Chris Johnson (CB – OAK), DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB – OAK), San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders know that they won’t have Darren McFadden at their disposal on Thursday night. But they have even more significant losses in the defensive backfield, which could make all the difference against the potent San Diego Chargers offense.

Cornerback Lito Sheppard is going to start alongside Stanford Routt, reports Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Sheppard was signed last week by the Raiders, but has been bouncing around the league lately and just hasn’t returned to the Pro Bowl form he flashed early in his career. However, the Raiders have precious little cornerback depth, as both Chris Johnson and DeMarcus Van Dyke have been ruled out for Thursday’s game.

This mean it’s going to be Sheppard’s job to contain one side of the field against the Chargers pass attack, and Phillip Rivers will likely be picking on him early and often. Keep that in mind if you have the Raiders defense this week on your fantasy team.

Here’s a list of Raiders and Chargers injuries.

Oakland Raiders Injury Report

OUT: QB Jason Campbell (collarbone), CB Chris Johnson (groin, hamstring), RB Darren McFadden (foot), CB DeMarcus Van Dyke (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE: T Khalif Barnes (shoulder), CB Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring), S Michael Huff (ankle), K Sebastian Janikowski (left hamstring), LB Rolando McClain (ankle), S Michael Mitchell (ankle), S Chinedum Ndukwe (knee), C Samson Satele (knee), DT Richard Seymour (ankle)

PROBABLE: RB Rock Cartwright (calf), S Matt Giordano (neck), QB Carson Palmer (quadricep), RB Marcel Reece (shoulder)

San Diego Chargers Injury Report

OUT: DE Luis Castillo (tibia), G Kris Dielman (concussion)

DOUBTFUL: WR Malcom Floyd (hip), LB Shaun Phillips (foot)

PROBABLE: LB Antwan Barnes (calf), LB Donald Butler (illness), LB Na’il Diggs (knee), WR Richard Goodman (groin), S Steve Gregory (thigh), RB Ryan Mathews (groin), LB Takeo Spikes (biceps)

For more on the Raiders, head to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts from the Blue.

Read More: Jason Campbell (QB – OAK), Dave Rayner (K – OAK), Michael Huff (FS – OAK), Sebastian Janikowski (K – OAK), Chris Johnson (CB – OAK), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Rolando McClain (LB – OAK), Chimdi Chekwa (CB – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos

The Oakland Raiders released their official injury report Friday, and it’s not short on names. As noted earlier in the afternoon, running back Darren McFadden is officially out of Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Quarterback Jason Campbell and cornerback Chris Johnson have been ruled out as well.

Corner Chimdi Chekwa, safety Michael Huff, linebacker Rolando McClain and placekicker Sebastian Janikowski are listed as questionable. According to Raiders beat writer Steve Corkran, though, the Raiders are confident that Janikowski will be able to play:

For more on Sunday’s game, check out Mile High Report, SB Nation’s Denver Broncos blog, and Silver And Black Pride, SB Nation’s Oakland Raiders blog.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

“What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

“He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

“He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

“I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) – The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

 Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

 Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

 Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

 ”What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

 Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

 He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

 ”He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

 The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

 Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

 ”I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

 Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

 His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

 ”He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

 The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

 ”I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

 Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

The focus this week will be on getting Palmer up to speed with the offense in time to take over the starting role Nov. 6 against Denver. He threw three second-half interceptions in Sunday’s loss, just five days after ending his retirement to join the Raiders in a trade from Cincinnati.

“This is something that I definitely think we need,” receiver Jacoby Ford said. “We’re going to have to work hard and get good with him. Just to get the timing down and be here with him.”

While bye weeks are often used to rest the body and refresh the mind, the Raiders have plenty of work planned for the week in order to get Palmer acclimated. They will hold practices on Tuesday and Wednesday before taking an NFL-mandated four days off.

But instead of leaving town for the weekend, the receivers, tight ends and running backs are all planning to stick around to get some informal work in with Palmer.

“We know we need to be here, and we’re going to be here,” receiver Derek Hagan said. “For us to get on the same page and get this thing clicking again, it’s obviously going to take more of an effort from us to put more time in just to make sure we’re doing those little things right.”

Palmer was sitting at home a week ago as the Raiders were figuring out how to move on after losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell to a broken collarbone. Oakland ended up trading for Palmer, sending a 2012 first-round pick and a conditional second-rounder in 2013 to Cincinnati.

Palmer had his first practice in more than nine months on Wednesday and got about 20 percent of the first-team snaps during the week before replacing an ineffective Kyle Boller in the third quarter against the Chiefs.

Palmer completed his first pass, but mostly struggled. He finished 8-for-21 for 116 yards and threw three interceptions, including one that Brandon Flowers returned for a touchdown.

“That was kind of like a preseason game for him, because obviously he hadn’t played in a game in quite a while,” coach Hue Jackson said. “I think it was very beneficial and will serve us well as we continue to move forward.”

Palmer finished with his third-worst completion percentage, tied for his second-most interceptions and his 17.3 passer rating was the second lowest of his career.

He has quite a bit of work to do to get back to the level of play the Raiders are expecting, but Palmer believes that with the bye he can do it in time for the next game.

“Two weeks is enough time to be where I need to be, and I’m going to get everything I can out of these guys,” he said. “I understand that it’s a bye week for these young receivers, and it’s time to get away a little bit, just let your mind go somewhere else because hopefully there’s a long road ahead of us. But it’s also time to get some work done, get that timing and rhythm and get going.”

McFadden won’t be partaking in this week’s workouts. The NFL’s leading rusher entering the game managed just two carries for 4 yards and one short reception before leaving after the second drive with a sprained right foot. McFadden was on crutches and had a walking boot Monday. Jackson said the plan was to rest McFadden this week anyway.

“We’re going to have the foot looked at and make sure structurally that it’s OK,” Jackson said. “We’ll take a great look at it as we go through this week. I’m hoping to get him back soon.”

Even though backup Michael Bush gained 99 yards on 17 carries in McFadden’s place, the Raiders can ill afford to be without their most dynamic offensive player if they want to compete in the AFC West.

Middle linebacker Rolando McClain, who has been nursing a sprained left ankle the past few weeks, left the game for a stretch and was visibly limping when he returned. He also had on a walking boot Monday.

Tight end Kevin Boss also was knocked out with a concussion and safety Matt Giordano had neck spasms. The Raiders hope the time off will help all of those players heal, as well as cornerbacks Chris Johnson (groin, hamstring) and Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring), fullback Marcel Reece (ankle) and kicker Sebastian Janikowski (left hamstring).

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While there was no official word Friday on whether Carson Palmer or Kyle Boller would start for the Raiders at quarterback Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Hue Jackson had another conundrum on his hands — the status of place-kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

Janikowski missed practice for the second straight day with a hamstring strain and was moving slowly and stiffly as he loaded footballs into a JUGS machine to give return specialists a workout.

He was listed as questionable, but the presence of three kickers in for tryouts — Dave Rayner, Rhys Lloyd and Ricky Schmitt — indicated the home crowd and a local television audience (the game was announced as a sellout) might see someone other than Janikowski handling place kicks and kickoffs.

“It’s a huge part of our football team if he can’t go,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to make any excuses. If he can’t go, he can’t go. We’ll get somebody that can. That’s the way it goes. We’ll be fine.”

Janikowski is in the midst of the best run of his 12-year career, going 12 for 13 on field-goal attempts and 5 for 6 from 50 yards and beyond, with the lone miss coming from 56 yards.

Were Janikowski to miss the game, the Raiders offense will have to advance a little farther into Chiefs territory to be in scoring range.

“With Sebastian out there, our offense just needs to get the ball to the 50 in certain situations,” long snapper Jon Condo said. “From the 45 and in,

(holder) Shane (Lechler) and I are looking and saying, ‘We can kick a field goal here.’ “

In terms of strategy, Janikowski’s absence would mean the Raiders might consider going for first downs when they might ordinarily kick.

Rayner has the most experience among the three players trying out. He was 13 for 16 on field-goal attempts for the Detroit Lions last season and is 55 for 75 for his career, with a season-high 26 field goals in 35 attempts for Green Bay in 2006.

Schmitt, who has been in Raiders training camp before, was 2 for 3 kicking field goals for the 49ers in 2009 and is primarily a punter. Lloyd has been a kickoff specialist for Carolina and Baltimore, although he once kicked a 56-yard field goal for the Frankfurt Galaxy in the World League.

Meanwhile, speculation shifted toward Boller as the potential starter although Jackson declined to name one.

At one point, Jackson said, “I know who the starting quarterback is. We’ll have a quarterback that’s ready.”

The NFL Network reported Boller as the “likely” starter, and ESPN reversed field on its report earlier in the week that Palmer was “expected” to start, saying he wasn’t ready after not having played a game in nine months.

“I’m getting as prepared as I can,” Palmer said before leaving for a meeting. “I’m excited about the opportunity to just be around the field, let alone get a chance to play.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders brought in three free agent kickers for workouts Friday after Sebastian Janikowski missed his second straight practice with a sore left hamstring.

Dave Rayner, Ricky Schmitt and Rhys Lloyd took turns kicking field goals and kickoffs for nearly 30 minutes following practice while Raiders coach Hue Jackson and special teams coach John Fassel watched.

“We’ll see as we continue to move forward but my goal is to make sure I have enough players to play and healthy bodies that can get the job done,” Jackson said before going to watch the kickers. “It’s a huge part of our football team if (Janikowski) can’t go. We’ll get somebody that can. That’s the way it goes.”

Janikowski, who tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal earlier this season, did not show up on Oakland’s injury report Wednesday but has not worked out since.

Jackson said Thursday that he thought Janikowski would be fine but backtracked a day later and listed the kicker as questionable.

Janikowski has hit 12 of 13 field goal attempts this season. Five of his kicks have been from 50 yards or longer, with his lone miss coming from 56 yards.

If he’s unable to play Sunday against Kansas City, it could have a significant impact on Oakland’s offense.

“With Sebastian out there in the field our offense just needs to get the ball across the 50 in certain situations,” long snapper Jon Condo said. “That might have some effect on our offense and the driving range … but we have one of the best punters in the league to kick it inside the 5-, 10-yard line.”

Of the three kickers Oakland worked out, Rayner has the most experience. The 29-year-old has kicked for six teams in five years and most recently played for Detroit in 2010. Rayner, who has made 55 of 75 field goal attempts in his career, was cut by both the Lions and Dallas Cowboys this past preseason.

Schmitt, who was on the Raiders practice squad as a punter in 2008, made two of three field goals with San Francisco in 2009 but has not attempted one since.

Lloyd, a native of Dover, England, has spent time in training camps with both Carolina and the New York Giants.

Notes: FB Manase Tonga will remain in the starting lineup even though Richard Gordon has recovered from the hand injury that sidelined him for two games. Gordon, a tight end, had been filling in for starter Marcel Reece, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury. … The team said the game has been sold out, the Raiders’ fourth straight sellout. … MLB Rolando McClain did not practice and is questionable.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.