Sep 7, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Injuries:
The good news is… Derek Carr’s injuries suffered in the loss to Miami seem to be minor. According to Nate Stuhlbarg of CSNBayArea.com
"“Carr indicated the injury did not affect his right leg at all. He wore no brace on his left leg, nor did he appear to walk with a limp as he met reporters in the locker room…”"
A good sign for the young QB poised to be the face of the franchise for years to come.
The bad news is…Why would the Raiders risk starting Derek Carr in 2014? The Raiders and Mark Davis have a tough call to make regarding the future of their future franchise quarterback. There are benefits to both sitting and starting Derek Carr this season. If healthy I think the Raiders start the Carr and continue his progression. Hopefully they can build into next year and finish strong in 2014.
Rod Streater was placed on injured reserve/designated to return with a foot injury suffered in Week 3. Streater was supposed to have a breakout season this year and was hoping to develop into a #1 receiver for the Raiders. Prior to his injury Streater was only able to produce 9 catches for 84 yards, and 1 TD, hardly the type of production expected. Rotoworld.com reports
"“Streater can resume practicing in six weeks, but won’t be eligible to return until the Raiders visit the Rams in Week 13. Before landing on I.R./return, Streater wasn’t expected back until Week 10 at the earliest. He had screws inserted in his foot last week.”"
Maurice Jones-Drew returned from injury in week 4 for the Raiders, and contributed a whopping 3 yards! Two runs and two catches. Can you say breakout game?!?! Wow! Bottomline, the running game has been embarrassing so far this season. Blame the OLine, blame poor running back play. MJD seems to have left his talent in Jacksonville so far. Hate to be negative but stay tuned for Darren McFadden’s injury, it is coming soon.
Matt Schuab should return from a non-injury absence from the team. It will be interesting to see if he gets his first start against the Chargers, should the Raiders decide to hold back Derek Carr. Schaub has to make the most of any opportunities he has, his future as a starter in the NFL after this season looks bleak.
For the most part the Oakland Raiders offensive line has remained healthy, a stark contrast to last season where this OLine looked like a revolving door. The pass protection has held up, the run blocking has been atrocious. At this point I tend to blame the poor run efficiency on lack of unit cohesion due to all the new parts on the line. They should improve as the season progresses, there is too much talent for it not to. Starting right tackle Khalif Barnes had a minor knee injury during the Miami game, but is not expected to miss any time. The disappointing Menelik Watson replaced Barnes in the game, to what amounted to some hometown love for the UK native.
Health just one of the problems…..
As we all know the Raiders health concerns are just one of the many problems facing new interim Head Coach Tony Sparano. The Raiders must compete down the stretch, and having a healthy Nick Roach, DJ Hayden, and Sio Moore will go a long way to improving this squad. Derek Carr was injured in what amounts to a freak injury after sliding awkwardly, and is hopefully ready for the Chargers after the bye week. A resurgent Oakland Raiders requires all its pieces and the bye week is a perfect time to recover and re-evaluate. Frankly, the Raiders need all the help they can get.