Darren McFadden's career in Oakland has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The running back was drafted back in 2008 to be the premier rusher for the team, but has only once turned out the number the Raiders were hoping for. Now entering a crucial contract year, McFadden is realizing that he owes fans his best effort.
McFadden looked out of place in 2012 and the result was a disastrous year. The Raiders were running a zone blocking scheme on their offensive line which did not suit McFadden's style of running. He produced an underwhelming 707 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers were not good enough to earn McFadden an offseason contract extension and made the Raiders faithful pretty upset with him. The veteran back is vowing to change that this year.
"The organization has shown tremendous faith in me, and I'm very grateful for that," McFadden said, via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. "I feel like it shows real faith in me and in this offense as a whole. They clearly have confidence in my ability and what I can do in a downhill running scheme. I'm so excited to be able to run in this type of offense again. I feel like I owe the Raiders a fantastic season."
McFadden has not done much in the preseason to prove these statements true. In the first two preseason games, McFadden managed just eight carries. He has not played again since suffering a shoulder injury. That is not the best start for a player fighting for a new contract or at least attention from other teams.
Greg Olson is confident that his new offensive scheme will be help McFadden return to his 2010 form where he rushed for 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns. Olson is installing a downhill offense which is the style back McFadden is known to be. The new system has the running back energizes and excited to start the year.
"It's a downhill offense. That's one of the things I like about it. I'm the type of guy I like to get going downhill, so I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a great fit for our team. It's a great feeling that they have that confidence in me, so I want to go out there and prove to them on the field that I can do it," McFadden said
McFadden's success is downright crucial in 2013. The Raiders continue to have uncertainty at the quarterback position and plan on starting Terrelle Pryor who is relatively unproven in the NFL. The team is also suffering from poor play at the offensive line. If McFadden can get going like he is promising, Raiders fans should be satisfied by the effort.
