Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys Oxnard Practice: Day One Recap

Jul 28, 2014; Napa, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) carries the ball at training camp at Napa Valley Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

He’s Back!

Say what you want to about often injured running back Darren McFadden but he’s back to his 2010, 2011 form. We already got to see him skee-skirt 23 yards in his only carry in the preseason opener and he was back at it. Tafur said he was “off to the races” as he broke one on the Cowboys defense, showing that burst hasn’t gone anywhere.

He’s in a battle for the starting role with Maurice Jones-Drew and after the preseason game and the scrimmage, he has to be ahead now. Jones-Drew, who was listed as No. 1 on the depth chart before the game, looks good but McFadden is back to his old form now. And with the road-grading offensive line he has now, he will lead the league in runs of 20-yard-and-over.

Head coach Dennis Allen needs to quit playing games with this because the cream has risen to the top very quickly. It’s really time to shut that whole thing down and save McFadden for the regular season as McFadden finally has a line that can keep him healthy. And if McFadden can’t stay healthy even with the current offensive line, Jones-Drew is the best backup plan  there is at his position.