Practice has begun for the Oakland Raiders this Wednesday morning, December 28, and several players who’ve been out with injury are back in full participation, according to Steve Corkran Raiders blogger for Contra Costa Times/Bay Area News Group . The most exciting news of the day has to be that sophomore receiver Jacoby Ford is one of those players.

Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders
Wikimedia Commons

The big question still on everyone’s mind may be running back Darren McFadden, but the unfortunate news there is that he sat out at practice, and as predicted he is unlikely to return for the New Year’s Day game against the San Diego Chargers. I believe we could see him on the field if the Silver and Black continue on to the playoffs, but both McFadden and his physicians will have to determine if it’s worth risking his future in the NFL.

A return by Ford would definitely be a positive factor in the must-win game against San Diego. He was said to be running routes and catching passes this morning, and that’s certainly a very good sign. He’s been a big help to the team and has contributed to more than a few of their victories since becoming a part of the Silver and Black as a rookie in 2010.

In week six against the Cleveland Browns he made a dazzling 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, showing off his lightening speed and tied the record for the third longest kickoff return in the team’s history. Ford was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his exceptional performance, and in addition to the kickoff return, he had an incredibly fast 27-yard run and a total of three passes on 43 yards, making his job look easy.

In 2010, you might remember it was Ford who was a big part of the Raiders’ win against Kansas City with two miracle catches in the final minutes of the game.

Free safety Michael Huff told us on Monday that he would definitely be in the game this Sunday after missing the previous two. He was in full participation at practice this morning as well, and it looks like he will be fulfilling his promise.

Running backs Michael Bush and Taiwan Jones were also in full participation, and Corkran tweeted, ” No sign of Big John Henderson at practice. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him placed on injured reserve this week.”

But the news is mostly good, and as we get closer to 2012 all I can think about is, what will happen on New Year’s Day? Focusing on the positive, I’ll keep picturing a Raiders win and a Broncos loss, and hope that picture becomes the reality by Sunday evening. What a great way to kick off the New Year.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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It’s been a lot of gloom and doom for the Oakland Raiders’ in the time since Thanksgiving weekend, when the team defeated the Chicago Bears, 25-20. After that game, we’ve seen more than a few players go down with injuries, including the stand-out rookie receiver, Denarius Moore, in the game against the Minnesota Vikings. The worst news was the tragedy in cornerback Chris Johnson’s family, and the player is, of course, having a difficult time with the situation.

Denarius Moore
Wikimedia Commons

But the tables could finally be turning for the Raiders. There are some pieces of good news this week that lead me to believe they could be.

The first, is that it looks like Moore will be back on the field against the Detroit Lions this Sunday. Head coach Hue Jackson was smiling once again during his media conference, and commented that Moore was back out at practice running around and catching some balls, and looking good. He said that his teammates were glad to see him back out there and gave them a little life.

Jackson also reiterated that Moore’s return on the field could be a tremendous boost to the players and give them the added spark they need to win. In his last full game against the San Diego Chargers, he had a total of five catches, 123 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he’s got 24 catches for 410 yards and four touchdowns.

If you don’t believe that Moore can make the difference, you’re probably asking about the defense, which has definitely been a problem, especially in their two recent losses. Defensive tackle Richard Seymour’s stats create a dim picture. In the Raiders’ first five games, Seymour had five sacks, 15 tackles and three assists. In week five, he injured his knee in the game against the Texans, and he hasn’t been the same since.

In the last five games, Seymour has had just one sack and one tackle. He hasn’t missed a game, and instead has played through the pain because he knew how much the team needed him. He commented, “It’s just been tough for me just because I haven’t been able to practice much. It’s just tough pushing through injuries. Earlier in the year, I felt good, it was going.”

Coach Jackson spoke with Seymour today and feels comfortable that things will be better this Sunday, and Seymour said he is feeling better as well. Hopefully, he will be the boost the defense needs. Both Seymour and all of the players know that it’s crunch time, and I believe they’ll get it done.

The Raiders will be back home at O.co Coliseum for their seventh consecutive sold out game, and as Jackson said the fans bring a certain energy, and a special force to the team. With both the players and the fans in it to win, they can be unstoppable.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been anOakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—Charles Woodson hasn’t played for the Oakland Raiders
since 2005, so it wasn’t a particularly big deal for him to get an interception
against his old team.

Woodson and the rest of the Green Bay Packers have much bigger things on
their minds these days.

Green Bay is 13-0 and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs after
Sunday’s 46-16 rout of the Raiders. The next steps are securing home-field
advantage in the postseason and, perhaps, pulling off a perfect season.

Woodson hasn’t shied away from talk of a 16-0 season in recent weeks, but
said after Sunday’s game that he’s more worried about the Packers playing their
best by the time the playoffs begin.

“We’ve won a lot of games, but there’s a lot of football left to be
played,” he said. “The only thing that we’ve assured ourselves is we have a
chance going into the playoffs and then that’s when the real fun starts. We’re
just going to continue to stay focused here on out for the rest of the regular
season and just try to continue to roll with Ws and go into those playoffs on
fire.”

Now the Packers have to hope star receiver Greg Jennings will be there with
them. Jennings sustained an apparent left knee injury in the third quarter and
had to be carted from the sideline to the locker room. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
said after the game that it “didn’t look very good.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy was more guarded, classifying the injury as a
sprain and saying that it warranted further evaluation.

“Hypothetically, it would be a big loss,” defensive lineman B.J. Raji
said. “But I’ve got my fingers crossed that hopefully he’ll be OK. Ultimately,
I hate to see any one of my teammates, Greg or anybody, be in that kind of pain
where another man has to carry you off the field and carry you to where you want
to go.”

Jennings’ injury—and some problems with Rodgers’ pass protection—were
about the only downsides to Sunday’s game for the Packers.

Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less
than three quarters of work before yielding to backup Matt Flynn. Ryan Grant had
two touchdowns rushing.

Including the playoffs, the Packers now have won 19 straight games dating to
last season—nearly a full calendar year. That’s the second-longest streak in
NFL history behind the 2003-04 New England Patriots’ 21 straight victories.
They’re the first reigning Super Bowl champion to start the season 13-0 since
the 1998 Denver Broncos.

McCarthy still isn’t interested in talking about the possibility of the
Packers going 16-0, but his level of confidence is clear.

“(If we’re) taking care of things and keeping our focus on improving the
quality of play, I don’t think we can be beat,” McCarthy said. “You could have
asked me that six years ago, I would have said the same damn thing. That’s the
way we think around here.”

While Green Bay’s defense hasn’t always been at its best this season, it is
causing turnovers. The Packers picked off four passes from Carson Palmer on
Sunday, providing more scoring chances for their offense.

“We feel real good about what they’re going to do once they have an
opportunity,” Woodson said of the offense. “Today they put up a lot of points,
and a lot of that is because defensively we came up with some plays. Those
things work hand in hand. When you’ve got an offense and a quarterback that’s
playing the way he’s playing and you give those guys opportunities, good things
are going to happen for you.”

Things are looking far more grim for the Raiders, who have been blown out
two weeks in a row. With Denver’s overtime victory against Chicago on Sunday,
the Raiders lost their share of the AFC West lead.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” coach Hue Jackson
said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the
football team we’ve been.”

Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and the four interceptions.

“I did not give us a chance to win today,” Palmer said. “I did not play
well enough and made way too many mistakes.”

Oakland continues to play without injured running back Darren McFadden,
along with wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. And the Raiders made
plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it.

“You are not going to beat a high school team with the penalties and
mistakes (like) the ones that we made,” linebacker Aaron Curry said. “You make
a lot of mistakes, you lose.”

Notes: McCarthy said defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and running back Brandon
Saine both sustained concussions. … The Packers set a franchise record with
466 points, topping the previous record of 461 points in 2009. … The Raiders
ran into an odd spell of bad luck on the second-half kickoff, when Green Bay’s
Randall Cobb appeared to step out of bounds during a 50-yard return. Officials
said the replay system was malfunctioning, and the Raiders couldn’t challenge.

The Oakland Raiders go into Miami this weekend with a three game winning streak, hoping to extend that record to four consecutive victories, but it’s not the only positive streak they’d like to continue. Here is a look at some of the impressive feats by the players on the Silver and Black recently.

Kamerion Wimbley
Wikimedia Commons

Sacks

Two players on the Raiders’ defense have been especially impressive when it comes to sacks. Defensive tackle, Richard Seymour, recorded his sixth tackle in the game against the Chicago Bears last Sunday. His total so far in 2011, is already higher than the 5.5 he recorded in 2010. He is also ranked second in sacks in the NFL among interior defensive lineman.

Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has seven sacks so far this season, with four in the game against the San Diego Chargers on November 10. He had a total of nine sacks in 2010, his first season with Oakland. His season high of 11 came with the Cleveland Browns in 2006, and he could surpass that record this year. Let’s hope he gets at least one toward that effort on Sunday.

Michael Bush(notes) touchdown streak

Bush’s touchdown in the game against the Bears was his third straight game in which he had a rushing touchdown, and the sixth of the 2011 season. I believe he’s got a great chance of making the game against Miami his fourth consecutive game where he’s credited with at least one rushing touchdown.

Marcel Reece(notes)

The very versatile fullback Marcel Reece set career highs in Oakland last Sunday against the Bears with five receptions for 92 yards, including a long reception for 47 yards helping to set up one of Sebastian Janikowski’s(notes) six field goals.

Brandon Myers(notes)

Tight end Brandon Myers caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Carson Palmer(notes). It was a career long reception for Myers, who is another one of the Raiders many exceptional players this season. He caught a 21-yard reception in the game against the Vikings the previous Sunday, helping to contribute to Oakland’s defeat over Minnesota, 27-21.

Special teams

If you’re an Oakland Raiders fan, you already know about the outstanding efforts of both kicker Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler(notes). Last Sunday, Lechler kicked an amazing record 80-yard punt , and Janikowski set a Raiders’ franchise record with six field goals in the game.

Can Lechler ever surpass the 80-yarder? I wouldn’t be surprised with his incredible kicking ability. As far as Janikowski, I hope he’ll be kicking a few more extra points rather than field goals on Sunday, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Less than 24 hours to go. The game begins on Sunday, December 4 at 10:00 a.m. PST. Just win baby!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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Read More: denarius moore injury, oakland raiders injury report, Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Chaz Schilens (WR – OAK), Marcel Reece (RB – OAK), Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR – OAK), Louis Murphy (WR – OAK), Jacoby Ford (WR – OAK), Denarius Moore (WR – OAK), Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Denarius Moore returned to practice Wednesday and will look to make his way back onto the field Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Moore sat out last week’s game against the Chicago Bears with an ankle/foot issue that kept him out of practice all week. If he is a full participant on Wednesday, that is an excellent sign he will be able to go this Sunday.

The Raiders skill position players are fairly decimated with injuries with Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford already likely outs for Sunday against the Dolphins. Moore has been able to stretch the field and developed a solid rapport with Carson Palmer before the injury. The Raiders are built around a strong rushing attack, but having players that can stretch the field is important to open up the running game.

If Ford is unable to go on Sunday, Darrius Heyward-Bey remains the top option, with Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy getting worked into the rotation. The Raiders pulled out the win against Chicago with limited weapons, but when Marcel Reece puts up the biggest receiving numbers, concern will rise. If Oakland can get Denarius Moore back on the field, that will be huge against a resurgent Miami Dolphins squad.

For more on the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride.

Things are looking good on the Oakland Raiders’ home front. They’re on top of the AFC West alone, at 7-4, after defeating the Chicago Bears on Sunday, despite the fact that more than a few key players were not in the game. Finally, instead of depressing talk about why they lost yet another game, this year we’re talking about the playoffs.

Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders
Wikimedia Commons

What good be a piece of even better news, is that running back Darren McFadden(notes) was walking around and involved in a light workout today. Head coach Hue Jackson has reiterated several times that he wants his players at 100% before they get back on the field, so it’s doubtful McFadden would return for the game against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, but he could be in the game against the much tougher Green Bay Packers.

Before McFadden was injured in week seven against the Kansas City Chiefs, he was leading the NFL in rushing yards with 614, and was responsible for four touchdowns.

Could week 14 be the time we see most of the players back on the field and healthy? The timing wouldn’t be better. I may be dreaming, but it wouldn’t be impossible for the Silver and Black to become the first team to defeat the Packers this year. This has been quite the year, and you never know what magic Hue will pull out of his hat.

Another piece of interesting news is that the injured Jason Campbell(notes) was throwing the ball around a bit, though it sounds like he still has a way to go. Jackson won’t say just yet as to what the outcome will be for Campbell when he’s able to return, and we probably won’t know until he’s fully recovered.

Wide receiver Jacoby Ford(notes) said he’s planning to return to practice this Thursday, but he probably won’t be in the game against the Dolphins. It wouldn’t be a far stretch of the imagination to say he’ll be returning for the game the following week against Green Bay.

Ford has been another stand out player this year, in addition to his amazing rookie year in 2010. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in game six against the Cleveland Browns. In that game, Ford returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, and the Raiders beat the Browns 24-17.

If the Raiders’ defense, thanks in part to Aaron Curry(notes), continues to perform as well as they have recently, and the team continues to keep their penalties in check, in addition to their offense coming back together again and healthy, anything can happen.

It never hurts to dream big. This season has been a long time coming. Just win baby!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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When the Oakland Raiders’ former head coach, Tom Cable was fired, and Hue Jackson was promoted in his place, there were more than a few fans of the Silver and Black who were up in arms, to say the least. Many said that the iconic late owner of the team, Al Davis, had really lost it, and was “way too out of touch.”

O.co Coliseum
K.C. Dermody

Another fan comment said that Davis was trying to set the record for blackouts with his decision. Well, guess what? Every home game in 2011 has been sold out, including this Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, and coach Jackson has brought the team to their best record since 2002, at 6-4.

Could it be that ‘ol Al was not as out of touch as some liked to think?

Of course, it’s premature, but I believe that Jackson was a good choice, and I’ve believed in him from the start. It may be the smile and the positive attitude that won me over in the beginning, but the reality is, after ten games have been played the team has a winning record. Not only that, but Jackson has had to overcome an exorbitant amount of challenges to get there.

Funny how many people were slamming Jackson’s decision to bring in Carson Palmer after Jason Campbell suffered a broken collarbone in the game against the Cleveland Browns in mid-October. Some said it was the Cincinnati Bengals’ owner, Mike Brown, who was the smart one in the deal with Palmer, and called Jackson “desperate.”

Now there is a change in the air in regard to the talk about Jackson and his “wildly reckless” decisions. He’s being called the team’s possible “new rock.”

Former great Raiders’ quarterback, Jim Plunkett, remarked, “It’s a lot to throw at a guy right off the bat, and he’s done a pretty commendable job.”

Jackson has taken everything that’s been thrown at him and turned it into a positive, and his winning attitude has spread to his players as well. Despite being penalized unfairly numerous times in Minnesota last Sunday, and experiencing a scary moment on the field when Darrius Heyward-Bey was injured, they powered through and didn’t let it get in the way of a victory.

The decision to bring on quarterback Carson Palmer, in retrospect, is now being heralded as a “genius move.”

There you go naysayers, Jackson is fulfilling his promise about returning to the “commitment to excellence.” There is no denying it now. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Raiders are a playoff team. Thanks Hue.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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There’s a lot of talk about the many injuries plaguing the Oakland Raiders going into the game at Oakland on Sunday, November 27, against the Chicago Bears. Here is a look at the latest update on injured players, and who should be on the field in week 12.

Oakland Raiders Sebastian Janikowski
Broken Sphere/Wikimedia Commons

Darrius Heyward-Bey(notes)

Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey took a horrific hit last Sunday in Minnesota, enough to knock his helmet off, and was said to have suffered a concussion. Heyward-Bey was on the field at practice today, running around, throwing balls and looking good. Of all the injured players, he is the most likely to be in the game against the Bears this Sunday. The Silver and Black were looking thin as far as receivers, and this is definitely a piece of great news.

Darren McFadden(notes)

It’s getting to the point where I don’t even want to bring the name McFadden up. He’s been out since he left the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in week seven, and although he was said to be out of the boot as much as eleven days ago, he wasn’t even on the sidelines at practice today. The latest rumor is that he’ll be out for the game against the Miami Dolphins as well.

Jacoby Ford(notes)

Ford suffered an ankle sprain in the game against the San Diego Chargers, and though he was said to be out the boot, he did not practice on Friday and is definitely out for Sunday’s game

Sebastian Janikowski(notes)

Definitely more good news here, in that kicker Sebastian Janikowski is not on the injured list at all, and is likely back at 100%.

Denarius Moore(notes)

Wide receiver Denarius Moore is listed as questionable, but he was able to get out and run around at practice on Friday. Head coach Hue Jackson said he’s taking it day by day, and the Raiders could certainly use another healthy receiver against the Bears. Jackson reiterated after practice that Terrelle Pryor(notes) is not an option in the receiver position. Let’s hope more good news is forthcoming for Moore.

Another player that is definitely out is defensive end Jarvis Moss(notes), and running back Taiwan Jones(notes) is listed as questionable. The Chicago Bears injury list looks especially short when compared to the Raiders. We know quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) is out with a broken thumb, and that could be a big advantage for Oakland. Their wide receiver, Devin Hester(notes), is listed as probable with a shin injury, and is said to likely be in the game for the Bears.

No matter what the injuries or challenges the Raiders face on Sunday, we have to remember how tough and resilient this team is, and with so many great players that will be on the field in addition to all of the positive energy at O.co Coliseum, all I can say is, “Just win baby!”

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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The Oakland Raiders will battle it out with the Chicago Bears on Sunday, November 27, in front of another sold out crowd at O.co Coliseum. This game, of course, is an important one for the team to win, after the Raiders lost the last two at home against two AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos.

Entrance to Oakland Coliseum and the home of the Raiders.
Wikimedia Commons

The Raiders have come alive in their last two games on the road, winning against both the San Diego Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings. Their road record is 4-1, at home they are 2-3. But that record may be a bit deceiving when it comes to the team today. Especially the loss against the Chiefs. As we know, backup quarterback, Kyle Boller(notes), played the first half of the game, and when Carson Palmer(notes) came in, he’d only been in Oakland for a few days. I read an article written by a Bears’ fan this morning and one of the reasons he believes Chicago will win against Oakland, is because of their four touchdown loss to Kansas City, but he says nothing of the circumstances behind that loss.

During the last two games, we’ve really seen the team come together, and Palmer has quickly become the leader the Raiders need. It’s doubtful that we’ll see either the injured Darren McFadden(notes) or Jacoby Ford(notes) in the game, but I don’t think it’s going to matter. In the game against the Vikings, Palmer connected with seven different players, and he’ll find a way to do it again this Sunday.

Also of note, the Raiders have 19 runs of at least 20 yards this season, most in the NFL. Michael Bush(notes) will likely add a lot to those numbers against the Bears.

Once again, it’s going to be the Raiders’ defense that needs to be on fire in Oakland in order to stop the Bears, and keeping penalties down is also key. Fair or unfair, the Raiders will have to come in with confidence and power through to keep that momentum going. Things have often been unfair when it comes to officiating games involving the Silver and Black, but what matters in the end is whether they’re able to turn the battle into a win or a loss, and we really need the win this Sunday.

In the game against Minnesota, veteran cornerback Lito Sheppard(notes) had six solo tackles and a sack, and safety Matt Giordano(notes) recorded his second interception in the last two games. Against the Bears’ quarterback, Caleb Hanie(notes), we should see that again this Sunday.

It may be a tough one, but this time I believe the fans will be rewarded by a Raiders victory at home. On Monday morning, we should be looking at a 7-4 record and one game closer to winning the AFC West in 2011.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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Read More: Jason Campbell (QB – OAK), Richard Seymour (DT – OAK), Michael Huff (FS – OAK), Sebastian Janikowski (K – OAK), Michael Bush (RB – OAK), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Jacoby Ford (WR – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings

The Oakland Raiders will be looking to improve on their season this Sunday when they take on the Minnesota Vikings, but it won’t be easy as the Bay Area team will take to the Metrodome without one of its best players. The Raiders released their final injury report of the week on Friday and, as suspected, starting running back Darren McFadden has been ruled out due to a foot injury.

The Raiders still have a capable running back in Michael Bush backing up McFadden, but their backfield isn’t quite as daunting without McFadden running behind the offensive line. The Raiders also listed wide receiver Jacoby Ford, cornerback Chris Johnson and quarterback Jason Campbell out for Sunday afternoon’s game.

Among the other injuries including on Friday’s report are defensive end Richard Seymour (questionable with a knee injury), safety Michael Huff (questionable due to an ankle injury) and kicker Sebastian Janikowski (probable with a left hamstring injury).

The full injury report can be found on the NFL’s injury page.

Read More: nfl injury report, oakland raiders injury report, darren mcfadden injury, Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Michael Bush (RB – OAK), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Taiwan Jones (RB – OAK), Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden missed a third straight day of practice and it would be an upset if he was in the starting lineup this Sunday against the Denver Broncos. McFadden sprained his foot two weeks ago in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. He has been on crutches since then and will likely be down for this Sunday.

If McFadden does sit, Michael Bush would get the start in his place and is a great fantasy start against the struggling Broncos. Bush is one of the best backup running backs in the league. His backup would be Taiwan Jones, who would act as a modest change of pace back and not much more.

The big question mark for Bush is how much running room he will have given the question marks surrounding the Raiders passing attack. Bush is a good start no matter what, but getting Carson Palmer and the passing attack in gear would be helpful for maximizing the return of Bush.

For more on the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.