The Oakland Raiders 2015 season could not have gotten off to a worse start as the team was shut down by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Raiders looked completely out of sync and injuries began to run wild on the roster. However, some good news has come quickly to Oakland as the hand injury to Derek Carr appears to not be as serious as originally expected which could help the offense get back on track.
According to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, Carr's hand injury is "nothing serious" and the quarterback could be available when the Raiders face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Head coach Jack Del Rio said the team was relieved by the diagnosis and Carr would get back on the field once the swelling goes down. The Raiders are not set to practice again until Wednesday which is good news for the quarterback as the desperately needs him. As a backup plan, Del Rio said Matt McGloin would get the start while the Raiders have been in contact with Christian Ponder who was released before the season.
If Carr is healthy and ready to play come Sunday, the offense could look a bit different for the Raiders after they struggled in his absence. Fans have yet to really get to see what Amari Cooper can do as he and McGloin failed to get connected against the Bengals. The wide receiver had just 47 yards off five catches. However, if Carr is not able to play and it is McGloin against the Ravens, the run game becomes even more important.
After releasing Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer, the Raiders put all of their eggs in the Latavius Murray basket which failed to do much Sunday. The running back had 44 yards on the ground and another 36 through the air. Instead it was fullback Marcel Reece who was the high scorer of the day with two touchdowns off 26 yards receiving.
The Raiders are expecting both Roy Helu and Brice Butler to be back on the field for Week 2 after being healthy scratches in the season opener. The Raiders will need a better one-two punch in the run game which is the role that Richardson was supposed to fill. Now it is up to Helu if he can get back on the field. Carr should be able to play according to Del Rio, but if is McGloin under center then Raiders' fans might be wise to expect a similar performance to Week 1.
