It’s far from a sure thing, but it’s conceivable that quarterback JaMarcus Russell, running back Darren McFadden and defensive end Derrick Burgess could return for Sunday’s game in Miami against the Dolphins.
Center Jake Grove, on the other hand, was having a calf injury examined and has already been ruled out for the Miami game. John Wade, signed to be the starter only to be beaten out by Grove, will start and be active for the first time this season.
Russell was the No. 3 quartebrack in a 17-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers after missing Friday’s practice with what the club said was right knee tendinitis. Now Russell and Tom Cable are saying it wasn’t just tendinitis, but a bone bruise which made it difficult for the quarterback to plant and throw.
“I didn’t want to put my team in harm’s way,”
Russell said. “The next guy (Andrew Walter), I think he’s a pretty good guy, so give him a chance to go out there and help the team.”
The injury apparently happened last Thursday, the day Russell missed the final eight plays for what Cable said was simply a “precaution”
and “being smart.”
Russell said there was simply too much pain to practice and it didn’t respond well enough to three days of treatment.
It was the first game Russell has missed due to injury since a separated shoulder in his redshirt sophomore year at LSU.
“It’s a lot better than it was,”
Russell said. “Just trying to get the strength back into it and be able to push off. Hopefully (I’ll) get ready this week and be ready to go.”
While Russell seemed optimistic about his return, Cable sounded hopeful regarding McFadden and Burgess, saying, “Theres a chance for (Burgess) this week and later adding,”
“Hopefully this is the week for Darren to be back.”
McFadden said he hoped to face Carolina early last week, but said, “as the week went on, it seemed like it wasn’t going to be a go.”
For the first time, McFadden revealed that after a bad experience in Buffalo, pain-killing injections are no longer an option.
In Buffalo, McFadden took a shot in order to play, then spent much of the game slipping and falling and changing his cleats.
“I ain’t taking no shot,”
McFadden said. “The last time I took a shot, it made it worse on me, so that’s not something I’m going to do again . . . coming back that Monday, the pain was 10 times worse than when I first did it against Kansas City. So it wasn’t something I want to do again.”
When McFadden injured his left toe against New York, it was determined he’d simply rest until he was healed enough to play.
“If it’s steadily getting worse and worse, it’s not doing (the team) any good, and it’s not doing me any good,”
McFadden said. “Are you going to be better out there playing with them, or are you hurting them more? Not being able to run or hit holes like I can, it’s hurting (the team) more with me being out there.”
McFadden said the decision to reject pain-killing injections was “mutual”
between himself and the team, and that he consulted his agent Ian Greengross and what Greengross calls “Team McFadden.”
Still, much of what McFadden learned about turf toe didn’t come from the Raiders, but Dean Webber, who was his trainer at Arkansas.
“He pretty much filled me in on what I didn’t know about turf toe,”
McFadden said.
For Burgess, the proof that he may be nearing a return was that he was available in the locker room and willing to talk. As a matter of policy, Burgess usually rejects all inquiries regarding injuries.
Maybe it’s because he’s getting better, or perhaps Burgess is sensitive to the perception in some quarters that he isn’t rushing back to the team with the state it’s in. Whatever the reason, Burgess talked about the triceps injury Monday.
When asked if he was close to coming back, he said, “Yep. Very close.”
Burgess said he is pain free and that the tear seems to be healing well. He also said it’s not a complete tear of the kind that put Saints end Charles Grant on injured reserve.
“It’s frustrating to see (us) lose regardless, but to not be able to help, even more (frustrating),”
Burgess said.
Burgess said he has done what he can to help rookie Trevor Scott, as well as newcomer Kalimba Edwards, and observed the Raiders biggest problems are not one of scheme but of being stout at the point of attack.
“A lot of things going bad for us are mostly mental and a lack of toughness at times,”
Burgess said. “We’re getting pushed around and Rob (Ryan) can’t do nothing about that. He can put them in better situations in certain downs, but shot, we still got to go out there and play.”
The difference against Carolina, Burgess said, was the Raiders kept it simple, came off the ball and took care of their gap responsibilities.
More Monday news and notes:
– It was a day for sore ankles. Andrew Walter said x-rays of his ankle injury were negative. Starting wide receivers Chaz Schilens and Javon Walker were also having ankle injuries examined.
– Sounds like Mario Henderson will get the word he’s starting against Miami Sunday as Kwame Harris struggled and Cable was critical of play at both tackle spots. That means Henderson would get a heavy dose of Joey Porter, the Dolphins 3-4 outside linebacker who leads the NFL with 12 sacks and is a candidate for NFL defensive player of the year.
“Mario played about 20 snaps. I’m going evaluate this here in the next couple of days,”
Cable said. “There’s potential there will be a change made there.”
– Doesn’t sound as if James Marten, the tackle claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys and ostensibly a backup at right tackle, has graduated from the “project”
stage. When asked about another option at Green’s spot, Cable said, “There isn’t one.”
Marten was added to the roster the same day Paul McQuistan was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury and has been active only once, playing on special teams against Buffalo.
– Linebacker Ricky Brown is getting closer to being able to run full speed but still may be another week off.
The absences of Brown and safety Tyvon Branch, placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, have affected the effectiveness of Oakland’s coverage teams, Cable said.
– Johnnie Lee Higgins may be out again as a return specialist.
“Really a poor day in terms of returning the football and we’re going to address that this week,”
Cable said. “What we’ll do yet, I don’t know.”
Identified as potential replacements were Rashad Baker, Michael Waddell and Michael Bush on kickoff returns, and Baker and Waddell as punt returners.
– Assuming Schilens is healthy enough to play, doesn’t sound as if Ronald Curry will be let out of the dog house/inactive list any time soon. Cable said Oakland’s third-and-long plays were too long for Curry to have been much of a help on third down, where he has excelled in past years.
“I think it’s all about production,”
Cable said. “If you look at blocking and what we’re doing, catching the ball in terms of Schilens, he definitely has made it a credible decision.”
Schilens has five catches for 86 yards in four starts and no receptions in the last two games.
– Regarding Grove’s personal foul, incurred when he came to the aid of Mario Henderson, Cable said, “I know I’m not supposed to comment on a call but that’s a crazy call. It just is.”
