Michael Crabtree went down in Week 4 with an ankle injury, but was able to come back and finish the game. The injury was originally deemed not serious, but the wide receiver has been out of practice which is causing some concern heading into a big matchup against the Denver Broncos. If Crabtree were to miss the matchup, it would put plenty of pressure on Amari Cooper.
According to ESPN's Bill Williamson, Crbatree was not present at practice following the ankle injury against the Bears. Team sources say the receiver was on the practice field stretching and did not appear to be limping which could mean that he was held out for precautionary reasons, but there is still reason to be concerned. Crabtree has been the next-best target for Derek Carr outside of Cooper and his absence would leave a big hole in the offense.
The wide receiver corps has been considered deep for the Raiders, but so far it is only Cooper and Crabtree making any noise on the field. If Oakland is going to have success against one of the best defensive units in the league, they need better production from everyone involved. Andre Holmes, Rod Streater and Seth Roberts must find more ways to get open. If not, Cooper could be in for a long Sunday as the wide receiver will have all of the attention from Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby.
Latavius Murray also found himself on the injury list, limited by a shoulder injury. The running back did workout at practice was called limited after suffering the injury. Murray is entering a make-or-break game. The running back had issues against the Bears with costly fumbles that stalled out Raiders drives. Head coach Jack Del Rio expressed confidence in Murray moving forward, but it could be an excuse to give Roy Helu more playing time as he picked up the slack in Week 4.
"I remain confident," Del Rio said, via ESPN.com. "None of us are perfect. We all are capable of making mistakes. I think the sooner you own up to mistakes, the quicker you can put them behind you and move forward."
Wee 5 is big for the Raiders. The team has shown some positive things so far this season. Going up against the undefeated Broncos will prove whether or not this team is for real or just another typical Raiders' roster.
