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Oakland Raiders Week 9 X-Factors against the Detroit Lions

By Matt Holder

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Derek Carr of Oakland Raiders in action during the game between Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Derek Carr of Oakland Raiders in action during the game between Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Rodney Hudson #61 of the Oakland Raiders is carted off the field in the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Rodney Hudson #61 of the Oakland Raiders is carted off the field in the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

The Center

Last Sunday, Oakland’s biggest loss wasn’t on the scoreboard. Center Rodney Hudson suffered a leg injury and while he won’t go on injured reserve, the team expects him to miss “some time.” As a result, undrafted rookie Andre James is thrust into the starting lineup.

Against the Texans, the UCLA product had an outstanding performance off the bench. James played in 82 percent of the Raiders offensive snaps, didn’t allow a quarterback pressure or sack, and helped the team maintain four yards per carry on the ground.

Unfortunately, both James and Hudson missed practice this week, as they are both hurting with a bum ankle. They are both listed as questionable at the time of this piece being written, but whoever is out there, whether it be James, Hudson, or even Richie Incognito, they are going to have a tough task ahead of them.

Defensive tackles Damon Harrison and A’Shawn Robinson are two of the better run defending interior defensive lineman in the league. Those two have combined for 51 career tackles for loss and command double teams, so their impact on the game goes beyond the stat sheet. The running game is an integral piece of the Silver and Black’s offense, so James needs to bring his “A-game” if the offense is going to move the ball.

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