Rating: (0 votes - average)

Running back Darren McFadden still is in a walking boot 10 days after he suffered a high-ankle sprain. Defensive tackle Richard Seymour still isn’t healthy enough to practice because of lingering knee and hamstring injuries.

Therefore, coach Dennis Allen says, they are questionable for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. If they aren’t able to practice Thursday and/or Friday, there’s little chance of them playing after missing the past four practices and last Sunday’s game.

“All those guys are getting better,” Allen said, “it’s just a matter of whether they’re going to be better in time for Sunday or not.”

– The Raiders faced the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week last Sunday in the Ravens Jacoby Jones. Next up is a game against the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham.

Graham is a matchup nightmate, given he is 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds. Too fast for most linebackers to cover, too physical for most defensive backs to handle.

Ah, but he hasn’t seen Raiders safety Mike Mitchell yet. Mitchell said he has the combination of speed and size to match up well with Graham.

“I haven’t seen anyone get very physical with him yet, as far as DBs,” Mitchell said. “Most guys are too small, and they try to stay away from him.

So, he just bodies them. I’m curious to see how he’s going to handle more of a physical, skill-position guy checking him at the line.

“Usually, he’s too fast for linebackers and too big for DBs, but I’ve been able to have success on those guys because I’m a skilled position guy. I like to get my hands on you a little bit and slow you down. So, we’ll see. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”

Graham caught 99 passes for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, and that was just in the regular season. Through nine games this season, he has caught 45 passes for 533 yards and seven touchdowns.

“He’s very good,” Mitchell said. “He’s one of Drew Brees’ favorite targets. If he can be eliminated, that takes a lot out of their offense.”

That’s one big “if” and one big assignment.

Read more: Allen calls McFadden and Seymour questionable for Saints game - Inside the Oakland Raiders - A look inside the world of the highly classified Oakland Raiders from the writers of Bay Area News Group

saintsfan1976

Graham is only one bullet in a very long clip for Drew Brees.

QBREES9

Won't miss them if they don't play.

TheOak

SaintsBro

If McFadden is walking around gimpily in a boot three days before the game, then even if he suits up and plays I'm still betting that by the second half that high ankle sprain is going to be tingling and aching and hot and getting gingerly to put weight on it, or cut, or turn...let him run wild and blow himself out early in the game, if the Saints' defense lets him get a bunch of yards in the first half and then shut him down to like 19 or 10 or 7 yards on 10 carries or something ridiculous like that in the second half, like they've done to other RB's before, well that would sound a LOT like the Saints defense that we are starting to recognize from our team. I could probably live with that. Give it a little twist in the pile, no money need change hands, boys.

Rugby Saint II

Even if we blow them out I won't feel that good about it. It's kind of like being proud you beat up some one coming home from the special olympics.
Last week they were injured..........this week the opponents look to be injured too. Just Sayin'.