Read More: Michael Huff (FS – OAK), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Jacoby Ford (WR – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions

Darren McFadden has had a few outstanding games for the Oakland Raiders this season, but it seems that the Detroit Lions might not have to worry about the running back for their game this week. The Raiders released their first injury report on Wednesday and McFadden was listed as out due to a foot injury.

McFadden’s foot injury has been reclassified as a Lisfranc injury instead of a the mild foot sprain that was originally reported, but Hue Jackson told reporters earlier this week that it doesn’t change the running back’s status.

No,” Jackson said. “And it’s not a season-ender. I mean, that’s what we said – it’s a sprained foot, Lisfranc, whatever you want to call it. Basically the same thing. I think Darren will be back before the season’s over. And when we get him back, we’ll get him back.”

Safety Michael Huff, defensive tackle John Henderson and wide receiver Jacoby Ford also showed up on the Raiders injury report as out on Wednesday. 

Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Carson Palmer, QB

Averaging 14.30 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Palmer may not be the best quarterback option to lead your fantasy team in the playoffs unless you play in a league that starts two quarterbacks. He scored just 11.00 fantasy points last week against the Green Bay Packers but looks to rebound this week against the Detroit Lions. Detroit is allowing just 15.29 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season so it is hard to expect more than his average this week.

Michael Bush, RB

Averaging 13.10 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Bush has developed into a quality fantasy running back worthy of a spot on any playoff roster. He scored 15.70 fantasy points last week in a very tough matchup against the Packers and looks to have a similar matchup this week against the Lions. Detroit is giving up 16.77 fantasy points per game to running backs this season giving me confidence Bush will have another solid game this week. RB Darren McFadden looks to be out again this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR

Averaging 6.20 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Heyward-Bey is the best fantasy receiving option on the Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately, he is not necessarily a very good option for a fantasy team in a playoff situation. The matchup against the Lions is fair, but his performance is expected to be near his average.

Louis Murphy, WR

With Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, and Chaz Schilens‘ status all in question for this week, the only other fantasy receiving option would be Murphy. Murphy did score 8.00 fantasy points last week against the Packers but like the rest, I would avoid a start. If Moore and Ford suit up, I would likely avoid them as well this week.

Kevin Boss, TE

Boss scored a season high 10.30 fantasy points last week against the Packers after playing a small role in the Raiders’ offense all season. He is an incredibly risky start this week but he could be one of the better targets for Palmer this week due to the injuries that have ravaged the Raiders’ wide receivers this season. Detroit is tough against tight ends allowing just 6.46 fantasy points per game to them this season. If you can afford the risk, Boss may just be a sleeper pick this week.

Sebastian Janikowski, K

Averaging 9.50 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Janikowski has proven to be a reliable fantasy kicker all season. While he scored just 2.00 points last week against the Packers, he is expected to rebound this week against the Lions. Detroit is giving up 9.75 fantasy points per game to kickers this season making it much easier to expect a game closer to his average this week.

Defense

Averaging 6.50 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, the Raiders’ team defense is average at best. They scored just 6.00 fantasy points last week against the Packers and look to have a similar matchup this week against the Lions. I would explore other options this week if available.

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

“I feel pretty good,” Heyward-Bey said. “They did a good job of taking care of me and making sure I was OK.”

Heyward-Bey moved around without limitations and showed no lingering effects from the scary hit in Sunday’s win over the Vikings.

Oakland’s third-year wide receiver caught a 4-yard pass from Palmer on a crossing route when he was initially hit by cornerback Cedric Griffin. After Griffin spun Heyward-Bey around as he was making the tackle, Henderson came in to help, but his left knee collided with the back of Heyward-Bey’s neck, knocking the Raiders player’s helmet off in the process.

Heyward-Bey lay on the turf for several anxious moments before being carted off the field with his body and head taped down to prevent movement. He was taken to a local hospital, but was released and joined his teammates for the flight back to Oakland.

After wearing a neck brace earlier this week and going through a battery of concussion tests, Heyward-Bey was cleared to practice this week.

“I was really pleased with his practice today,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said. “He did some good things, made some plays and caught some balls. We’ll see where he is but he looked good today. That (concussion) part’s behind him. It’s just now the soreness of the body.”

That’s an encouraging sign for Oakland, which was down to two healthy receivers on its 53-man roster earlier in the week. Now Jackson’s team is almost back to full strength.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh also returned to the field after leaving town to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Jacoby Ford is making progress from his left foot injury and is no longer wearing a protective boot. Rookie Denarius Moore is also walking without the use of a protective boot.

Heyward-Bey and Moore are both questionable while Ford is out.

Jackson has some options if the Raiders are short on receivers for Sunday’s game against the Bears. Fullback Marcel Reece and rookie tight end David Ausberry both played wide receiver in college and could be used in a pinch.

One player who Jackson won’t use at receiver is Terrelle Pryor, the multi-talented athlete from Ohio State who has been the emergency quarterback every week since returning from his five-game NFL suspension.

“I wouldn’t do that to him,” Jackson said. “He’s a quarterback and that’s the position he plays. I wouldn’t put him in that situation.”

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour also practiced for the first time in two weeks, while defensive end Lamarr Houston worked out in full pads after sitting out Wednesday’s practice.

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

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey(notes)
practiced without pain five days after injuring his neck and spine and suffering
a concussion while being tackled by Minnesota linebacker E.J. Henderson(notes).

Heyward-Bey, the Raiders’ leading receiver this season, ran patterns and
caught passes from quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) during a light non-contact drill
and took part in some team drills as well Friday. That was slightly more than he
was able to do a day earlier when he worked out for the first time since the
injury.

“I feel pretty good,” Heyward-Bey said. “They did a good job of taking
care of me and making sure I was OK.”

Heyward-Bey moved around without limitations and showed no lingering effects
from the scary hit in Sunday’s win over the Vikings.

Oakland’s third-year wide receiver caught a 4-yard pass from Palmer on a
crossing route when he was initially hit by cornerback Cedric Griffin(notes). After
Griffin spun Heyward-Bey around as he was making the tackle, Henderson came in
to help, but his left knee collided with the back of Heyward-Bey’s neck,
knocking the Raiders player’s helmet off in the process.

Heyward-Bey lay on the turf for several anxious moments before being carted
off the field with his body and head taped down to prevent movement. He was
taken to a local hospital, but was released and joined his teammates for the
flight back to Oakland.

After wearing a neck brace earlier this week and going through a battery of
concussion tests, Heyward-Bey was cleared to practice this week.

“I was really pleased with his practice today,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson
said. “He did some good things, made some plays and caught some balls. We’ll
see where he is but he looked good today. That (concussion) part’s behind him.
It’s just now the soreness of the body.”

That’s an encouraging sign for Oakland, which was down to two healthy
receivers on its 53-man roster earlier in the week. Now Jackson’s team is almost
back to full strength.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) also returned to the field after leaving town to be with
his wife for the birth of their child. Jacoby Ford(notes) is making progress from his
left foot injury and is no longer wearing a protective boot. Rookie Denarius
Moore(notes) is also walking without the use of a protective boot.

Heyward-Bey and Moore are both questionable while Ford is out.

Jackson has some options if the Raiders are short on receivers for Sunday’s
game against the Bears. Fullback Marcel Reece(notes) and rookie tight end David
Ausberry(notes) both played wide receiver in college and could be used in a pinch.

One player who Jackson won’t use at receiver is Terrelle Pryor(notes), the
multi-talented athlete from Ohio State who has been the emergency quarterback
every week since returning from his five-game NFL suspension.

“I wouldn’t do that to him,” Jackson said. “He’s a quarterback and that’s
the position he plays. I wouldn’t put him in that situation.”

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour(notes) also practiced for the first time in two
weeks, while defensive end Lamarr Houston(notes) worked out in full pads after sitting
out Wednesday’s practice.

Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Carson Palmer(notes), QB

Despite averaging 18.60 fantasy points in his last three games, Palmer faces an uphill battle this week against the Chicago Bears due to the injuries facing the team’s wide receivers. Chicago is giving up 17.31 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season but I cannot anticipate huge numbers this week. His only stable receiving options would be to either the running back or tight end.

Michael Bush(notes), RB

With Bush averaging 22.00 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, he is quickly becoming one of the top running backs in fantasy football late in the season. Bush will have the majority of the Oakland Raiders’ offense on his shoulders this week with the receiving options so deeply depleted. Darren McFadden(notes) is expected to miss another week leaving the duties to him. Despite a tough Chicago defense, expect Bush to have a very big week.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes), WR

He will see action due to injuries to Jacoby Ford(notes), Denarius Moore(notes), and Darrius Heyward-Bey(notes). Regardless, I strongly recommend avoiding all Oakland wide receivers this week.

Chaz Schilens(notes), WR

See Houshmandzadeh, however Schilens has the most potential of the two based upon this season’s performance. Schilens is the only other wide receiver other than Moore with more than one touchdown this season. He has two.

Kevin Boss(notes), TE

While only averaging 4.80 fantasy points per game, Boss has the opportunity to really step up this week against the Bears. Chicago is allowing 11.74 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season and Palmer has very limited receiving options available to him. Like Bush, expect Boss to have a surprisingly good game this week.

Sebastian Janikowski(notes), K

Averaging 9.70 fantasy points per game, Janikowski is a solid kicking option on any fantasy team. He is no longer listed on the Raiders’ injury report increasing my confidence he is back to 100 percent health. Even while still considered “healing” he gave a 9.00 fantasy point performance against the Minnesota Vikings last week and looks to have a favorable matchup against the Bears this week. Chicago is giving up just 7.80 fantasy points per game to kickers this season however.

Defense

Averaging 6.80 fantasy points per game it would appear the Raiders’ team defense would be sitting somewhere it the middle of the pack and not all that desirable due to the fact the Bears are giving up only 6.30 fantasy points per game to team defense. I believe this is a more favorable matchup than it lets on due to the Oakland averaging 13.00 fantasy points per game in their last two games and that they will be facing a new and inexperienced Chicago Bears quarterback in Caleb Hanie(notes).

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The last time the Oakland Raiders faced Devin Hester and the Chicago Bears, former coach Lane Kiffin memorably promised to challenge the NFL’s most dangerous returner and did not pay the price for doing so.

There are not the same bold proclamations coming out of Oakland this week as the Bears prepare to play their first game with backup quarterback Caleb Hanie at the helm in place of injured starter Jay Cutler.

“With the situation they’re in right now, I am going to try not to let him touch it,” All-Pro punter Shane Lechler said. “Because they got a new quarterback this week, losing Jay, they’re looking for a spark somewhere. And I don’t want that spark to be against our punt team. I think the best thing to do is go neutral on this deal, and let’s play defence, and get through it like that.”

Coach Hue Jackson said Hester can change a game in the snap of the fingers and he wished he could have 20 players on his coverage units to contain him.

Jackson said he hasn’t decided yet whether he will kick to Hester but acknowledged that sometimes there is no choice because of the situation in the game, so the team must prepare for it.

“We’re not going to run from a challenge from anybody and that’s the way it is,” he said. “But we’ll be smart about the challenge. We’ll be smart about the fights we pick.”

The Raiders gave Hester eight chances to return the ball in their 17-6 loss in 2007. He returned one kickoff from 8 yards deep in the end zone and only managed to make it out to the 11. He also twice lost 4 yards on punt returns. Hester’s one big play, a 64-yard punt return, was wiped out by a holding call. He finished the day with 14 yards on six punt returns and 34 yards on two kickoff returns.

That was the only time since Hester’s rookie year that he had six punt returns in a game, as most teams choose either to kick the ball out of bounds, or high and short, to prevent him from getting a chance at another highlight. In his two six-return games as a rookie in 2006, he averaged 17.9 yards per punt return with an 83-yard touchdown against Arizona.

That’s why Lechler called Hester a “scary” guy to punt to and ranked him alongside Dante Hall as the most dangerous returners he has faced in 12 years in the NFL.

“He’s got top-notch vision,” Lechler said. “He sees cuts way down the field. He sets up blocks very well, probably one of the better guys that sets up blocks across the league. He’s just a guy that we want to try to neutralize and not let him hit the home run against us.”

Hester has more home run returns than any player in NFL history, with 17 in less than six full seasons. His 13.1-yard average on punt returns is the highest in NFL history.

Raiders safety Mike Mitchell called Hester the second-best return man in football, behind teammate Jacoby Ford, who has four kick returns for touchdowns in less than two seasons as a pro.

But Mitchell also said Hester should be as worried about Lechler’s big leg and the Raiders’ coverage unit as they are with him this week.

“We have a guy who can punt a ball 60 yards in the air. We’re going to take every advantage of that,” Mitchell said. “We have the biggest, fastest guys in the league covering our punts. We just have to get down field and outrun their protection team and make tackles. After he gets machine-gunned a couple of times he’s not going to be too quick to return punts.”

The Raiders have allowed a pair of punt return scores this season, both to Denver. Oakland has allowed 14.5 yards per return, fifth worst in the league.

But the players on the coverage units welcome the challenge of facing Hester and see no need for the Raiders to kick the ball out of bounds.

“He’s going to be there no matter what,” linebacker Quentin Groves said. “You can kick it left, you can kick it right, you can kick it down the middle. He’s going to still be there. Everybody’s tried it. You see guys have tried to kick it away from him. They’ve tried to do everything, pooch kick, and it still doesn’t work. You just have to man up and be a man about it and just play.”

Bears coach Lovie Smith has seen all sorts of strategies when it comes to dealing with Hester and is not surprised teams still give him chances despite his record-setting success.

“I think it’s hard to go into meetings and tell your punt team that, ‘Hey guys, we don’t think you’re good enough so we’re going to have to kick it out of bounds because we don’t think you can tackle one guy down on the other end,’” Smith said. “I just don’t think you can go in and do that very often. So, I assume a lot of teams have kicked it to him and I think they’ll continue to do that, because he’s just an NFL player, like everybody else.”

And what does Smith think about that strategy: “Believe me, we love it every time that they do decide to do that.”

Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Carson Palmer(notes), QB

Averaging 19.37 fantasy points in his last two games, Palmer is still getting his feet wet in the Raiders’ offense. He scored 16.16 fantasy points last week against the San Diego Chargers, and appears to have a favorable matchup this week against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are giving 20.27 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season giving me confidence that he will put up at least 14.00 fantasy points this week.

Michael Bush(notes), RB

Averaging 20.07 fantasy points in his last three games, Bush is proving to be a must start. He scored a mind-blowing 30.20 fantasy points last week against the Chargers and has a very favorable matchup against the Vikings this week. Minnesota is giving up 18.38 fantasy points per game to running backs this season giving me the confidence to project at least 16.00 fantasy points this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey(notes), WR

Heyward-Bey has only been targeted once in the last two weeks but that looks to change with Jacoby Ford(notes) possibly out for this week’s game against the Vikings. The Vikings are giving up 27.18 fantasy points to wide receivers this season giving me the confidence he will get on the board this week. Still, given his recent history I can project no more than 8.00 fantasy points this week. He is a risky start, but could come up big considering Palmer’s other options.

Jacoby Ford, WR

Ford appears to be out for the week. Heyward-Bey looks to be getting the majority of the targets this week.

Kevin Boss(notes), TE

Averaging only 1.43 fantasy points in last three weeks, Boss is not even worth the consideration. He did muster up 3.20 fantasy points last week against the Chargers, but I would not expect that much more this week. I would strongly recommend exploring other options.

Sebastian Janikowski(notes), K

Averaging 9.80 fantasy points per game, Janikowski is a very solid kicking option. He does have some hamstring concerns but is expected to play this week against Minnesota. The Vikings are giving up 10.56 fantasy points per game to kickers this season giving me confidence he will put up numbers better than his average.

Defense

Averaging just 5.90 fantasy points per game, the Oakland Raider’s defense leaves much to be desired overall. They did have a good game last week scoring 11.00 fantasy points against the Chargers, but it is still not enough to warrant a start given their up and down history. I don’t anticipate any more than 7.00 fantasy points this week, and that is if they have a good game.

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Oakland Raiders wide receiver, Denarius Moore(notes), is up for the NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance in the game against the San Diego Chargers last Thursday. Just yesterday, Oakland’s running back, Michael Bush(notes) was selected as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Denarius Moore
Wikimedia Commons

At the start of the season, head coach Hue Jackson said he was bringing the team back to the excellence they’d known in the past, and that each day in training camp he told the guys, “Gentlemen, It’s a great day to be an Oakland Raider!”

Everyone on the Silver and Black must feel that way, and Jackson’s winning smile and winning attitude is certainly rubbing off. The performances by both Moore and Bush show us that the Raiders really on their way back to greatness, even if there is still a lot of room for improvement. The magic has returned.

Moore was first selected as NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance in the game against the Buffalo Bills in game two. In that heartbreaking loss, Moore was a stand out. Jackson called the receiver, “as advertised,” after he had one rush for 25 yards, and ended the game with a total of 146 yards, as well as having an amazing catch in a 50 yard touchdown pass. Even during his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals in preseason , it was Moore who shined in an otherwise disappointing game for the Raiders. He caught three passes for 41 yards by the finish.

This time, Moore is up for the honor in week ten, after he managed to hold on to a long pass by quarterback Carson Palmer (notes) for a 46-yard catch, one of just five catches and two touchdowns by the end of the game. All the players were on fire last Thursday in San Diego, but the rookie receiver was certainly in the headlines for that one.

As I had written yesterday, running back Michael Bush was up for the honor of the NFL FedEx Ground Player of the week, and by Tuesday night, he had been selected. Bush is certainly well deserving, after having 157 rushing yards with a touchdown and 30 carries, in addition to 85 yards on three catches in week ten.

All the players on the Silver and Black are putting out some great effort to return to their “commitment to excellence.” Let’s keep it going guys, and, as always, “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 .

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Fan: Michael Bush Up for NFL Fed Ex Ground Player of the Week

Oakland Raiders on Top After KC Loss: Fan’s Look at the AFC West

Oakland Raiders Fan: Fans Against Violence Taking Back the Stands for All Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Oakland Raiders’s MIchael Bush has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after his dominant performance against the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football. Bush rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown, and had 242 total yards from scrimmage in the Raiders 24-17 victory. It was Bush’s second start and third lengthy performance in a row in place of Darren McFadden. In those three games, Bush has 352 rushing yards and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

The Raiders win over San Diego was huge for divisional purposes as they seem to be coming together under new QB Carson Palmer. By the end of the weekend, the Raiders were a game up on the rest of the division and will look to build on that lead against the Minnesota Vikings. It was a complete team effort and the players are being rewarded accordingly. Bush has also been nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week and Denarius Moore has been nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden and wide receiver Jacoby Ford missed practice Monday, leaving both questionable for this weekend’s game in Minnesota.

McFadden continues to make progress from the mid-foot sprain that has kept him out of the Raiders’ past two games but has yet to resume full workouts. Ford is wearing a protective walking boot after injuring his foot in last Thursday’s win over San Diego.

Neither player even attended Oakland’s first practice since a two-day break, and coach Hue Jackson declined to say what the chances were for McFadden or Ford being available for Sunday’s game at Minnesota.

“We have a team of doctors that handle that,” Jackson said. “They’re normally going to tell me when a guy can play and I trust their judgment and what they do. Nobody’s been ruled out as of now, so we’ll go through the week and see where we’re at.”

The way backups Michael Bush and Denarius Moore played in Oakland’s 24-17 win over the Chargers, it might not matter much.

Bush ran for a season-high 157 yards and a touchdown and had another 85 yards in receptions. The 242 yards from scrimmage were the most by a Raiders player since Bo Jackson had 235 against Seattle on Nov. 30, 1987, and the fourth-most in franchise history.

Moore nearly outdid him.

The rookie receiver from Tennessee caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and repeatedly gouged San Diego’s secondary for big gains. Included in Moore’s night was a remarkable 46-yarder that he caught with his fingertips wrapped around the point on the ball after the pass from quarterback Carson Palmer sailed over Moore’s head.

That win, coupled with Denver beating Kansas City on Sunday, gave Oakland sole possession of first place in the AFC West. It’s the first time since 2002 that the Raiders have had the outright division lead this late in the season.

Jackson has had to juggle his lineup most of the year due to players being hurt.

In addition to McFadden and Ford, quarterback Jason Campbell, center Samson Satele, fullback Marcel Reece, tight end Kevin Boss and reserve wide receiver Louis Murphy have all missed playing time as a result of injuries.

McFadden has not practiced since getting hurt against Kansas City on Oct. 23. He limped through the locker room with the aid of crutches and his right foot in a boot the following day and has made slow progress since.

“I know we’re getting closer to getting him back out here,” Jackson said. “I know he’s working his tail off. When I saw him this morning he looked good. Until we get closer later on in the week and we know exactly where he is, I don’t want to speculate.”

Ford, who doubles as Oakland’s kick returner, went down with a similar foot injury against San Diego on Thursday. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI over the weekend but the results were not yet available.

Moore, who filled in on offense when Ford got hurt, will also replace him on special teams if the second-year wide receiver is unable to play against Minnesota.

“We’re going to know more as we move through the week,” Jackson said. “By [Tuesday] when we really start laying all the foundation for a game plan, I have to know who has a possibility of playing, at least.”

Even without two of its best offensive players, Oakland still had little problem moving the ball and scoring against San Diego, thanks to big nights from Bush and Moore.

It was the type of night that would have made late Raiders owner Al Davis proud, seeing two of his lower-round draft picks flourish despite playing in backup roles most of the season.

“We have a whole bunch of talent on the offense and defense, where if one goes down we have another to step in and take his place,” Moore said Monday. “We all have faith in our teammates.”

Three defensive starters were also absent from practice: defensive tackle Richard Seymour, safety Michael Huff and cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

We’re just a few days away before the Denver Broncos face the Oakland Raiders in O.co Coliseum on November 6, 2011. Though it’s still a little early to know 100% who will be in and who will be out, there have been a lot of changes going on this week for the Silver and Black. Here is a look at the newest arrivals, and significant players who are likely to miss this battle.

Oakland Raiders Sebastian Janikowski
Broken Sphere/Wikimedia Commons

Darren McFadden(notes)

As we get closer to the end of the week, the chances are looking slimmer for McFadden to be on the field against the Broncos. As of practice on Wednesday, he was still on crutches and wearing a boot. At this point, I think it’s more important for the running back to get completely healed and be ready to go for some of the tougher battles up ahead, namely the San Diego Chargers. Although San Diego may not be as strong as they seemed to be at the beginning of the season.

If the decision is made to keep McFadden out on Sunday, Michael Bush(notes) will be on the field. Bush did a great job against another AFC West rival, Kansas City, running 17 times for 99 yards. Taiwan Jones(notes) would then become the backup running back.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes)

The big news this week is the signing of wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The familiarity between the newest Oakland Player, head coach Hue Jackson and quarterback Carson Palmer(notes), should have an immediate positive for the Silver and Black.

The wide receiver is expected to play on Sunday, and remarked that he does think the chemistry between himself and Palmer will help. He hopes to put some of his disappointing days with the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens behind him. Houshmandzadeh also commented on his, slightly, advanced age of 34, remarking that he feels good and has never been injured.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do for the Raiders on Sunday, and beyond. There are a lot of high expectations for him, as well as Palmer.

Carson Palmer

Of course we know Palmer will start for the Raiders, and hopefully Kyle Boller(notes) will not even be a factor in this game, or any in the near future. Palmer said there is no comparison in the way he feels this week compared to last, and that he is really ready to go. He’s comfortable with the guys, and the play book. This is his opportunity to show us that he can lead the team to victory. Really, the battle between our new quarterback and Tim Tebow(notes), should by all rights be an easy one to take.

Lito Sheppard(notes)

The Raiders other signing this week was the Pro Bowl cornerback, Lito Sheppard. Jackson said his veteran presence is sorely needed, that he is excited about being here, and should be invaluable.

Sebastian Janikowski(notes)

Although some reports stated that the kicker was not at practice on Wednesday at all, Jackson did say he was out for some time, and that he is getting closer. With Janikowski a key factor in whether the Raiders win or lose in more than a few games, his presence is definitely needed. While it’s still uncertain if he’ll be back in time for Denver, I’d say there’s a much better chance of seeing him than McFadden.

Regardless of the Broncos sitting at the bottom of the AFC West, this will be an important game for the Raiders to win. Once that happens, we can move on from the horrendous loss against the Chiefs and look forward to being on the top of the division by the time it’s said and done.

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 .

More from this contributor:

The Oakland Raiders Sign Veteran Wide Receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh: Fan Reaction

Oakland Raiders Fan: Terrell Owens Doesn’t Belong on the Silver and Black

Passion Returns to Aaron Curry with Raiders as it Often Has in the Past: Fan’s Look

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Palmer had just three practices with the Raiders before making his debut in Sunday’s 28-0 loss to Kansas City. So the task this week will be to learn the offense, build a rapport on and off the field with his receivers and get back into football shape after more than nine months away from the game.

“This bye week may be the most valuable to me of anybody in the league, other than a guy who is really hurt or nursing a serious injury,” Palmer said.

That’s because Palmer arrived in Oakland just a week ago after spending training camp and the first six weeks of the season in retirement at home in Southern California. That ended when Jason Campbell broke his collarbone and the Raiders traded a 2012 first-round pick and a conditional second-rounder in 2013 to Cincinnati for Palmer.

Palmer got about 20 percent of the first-team snaps during the week before being sent in to replace Kyle Boller in the third quarter against the Chiefs with the Raiders trailing 21-0. Palmer completed his first pass in more than nine months but there wasn’t much positive.

He finished 8 of 21 for 116 yards and threw three interceptions, including one that Brandon Flowers returned for a touchdown. 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.

“It was kind of like a preseason game just to get my feet wet, call a play in the huddle, throw a ball in live action and make errors and make mistakes,” he said. “It’s much easier to learn from a mistake or an error than it is to learn from doing it right. … It’s always a negative thing to lose and lose the way we did. But I think there’s a lot more good than people outside this building would recognize that we’ll learn from and improve on and move on from.”

The to-do list for Palmer is extensive, starting with learning protections and terminology, calling plays in the huddle, working on snap counts, reading defenses, changing plays and getting a feel for the skill position players.

When all of that is done, Palmer can start preparing for the next game against Denver on Nov. 6, which the Raiders hope will be a much more successful day than his debut was.

“I put him in a very tough situation, but it was a situation he was willing to go in and compete in,” coach Hue Jackson said. “I understood what the situation was. I knew that those things could happen. I knew it could go really well. I knew it could go really bad, and obviously it went the latter. We don’t want that to happen again. That’s why we’re out here practicing like we’re practicing. We’re going to get ourselves ready to play big-time football the way we know how to play.”

The Raiders will practice once again on Wednesday before taking four days off as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement. While coaches can’t be involved, it does not mean a vacation for the players.

Palmer and the skill position players are planning to stay in town all weekend. Palmer is planning throwing drills with his receivers, as well as film study to make up for all that lost time.

Palmer said he appreciates the commitment from his teammates, who are giving up a few off days for this process.

“These guys are hungry and know that there’s a big difference between good and great and these guys want to be great,” Palmer said. “They know it’s not easy and takes a lot of hard work and it just shows a tremendous amount of respect for the game and hunger to get better and hunger to be good.”

Notes: The Raiders waived K Dave Rayner, who had one kickoff in his only game in place of injured Sebastian Janikowski. … Jackson said tests on RB Darren McFadden’s sprained right foot showed no structural damage. … FB Marcel Reece was back for the first time since spraining an ankle against the Jets on Sept. 25. … Jackson said backup OL Bruce Campbell is moving from guard to tackle.

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