The Oakland Raiders need a run game. If Dennis Allen is going to commit to Derek Carr as the team's starting quarterback, he needs a ground game to help bail out his rookie mistakes. That section of the offense was non-existent in Week 1 against the New York Jets. Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew put together an all-around disappointing effort in the season opener and are in need of redemption in Week 2 if the Raiders are going to win some games.
Jones-Drew might not get a chance to contribute in Week 2 which will play a big part in the Raiders' offensive attack. According to Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com, Jones-Drew underwent a procedure on his hand that was injured against the New York Jets. Jones-Drew had a hand injury over the summer, but returned to Oakland healthy. Allen would only say that the running back was day-to-day, but he was not present at practice on Wednesday which could mean he is out against the Houston Texans.
The injury to Jones-Drew is just another bullet point on a downward trend for the veteran. His past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars were overshadowed by injuries. He put up just 803 yards last season as the lead back. He signed a short-term contract with the Raiders with the idea that a change of scenery would help regain composure in his nine-year career. He played 28 of 55 snaps in Week 1, but only managed 11 yards rushing. Without him, McFadden and Marcel Reece will pickup the slack.
The battle between Jones-Drew and McFadden is expected to continue throughout the season. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, McFadden is expected to start against the Texans simply because he will have had more practice this week and Jones-Drew. The Raiders veteran did not perform much better than Jones-Drew in the first game. He had four carries for 15 yards while putting up one catch for six yards.
The Raiders have offensive line issues that could seriously get exposed by the Houston Texans defense. JJ Watt is coming off a monster game in Week 1 and will certainly be looking to pressure Carr as much as possible. The offense had a hard time getting momentum against the Jets and it will not get easier against the Jets.