SOMETHING WAS MISSING from the Raiders' debut possession of their 2009 exhibition season Thursday night.
Something beside a touchdown. Someone, actually. No, not Michael Vick, who is now property of the Philadelphia BooBirds.
To paraphrase the theme of the Raiders' 50th anniversary season: Where were you ... on that first drive, Darren McFadden?
He was on the sideline, much as he was last season when the Raiders foolishly shied away from using their scintillating rookie running back.
McFadden must become the Raiders' go-to man, or else they'll pay for it in ways similar to their past six seasons of sorrow. They can't win if he can't get on the field.
Once he made his way onto the Oakland Coliseum dance floor Thursday against Dallas, he proved once again he's the electrifying playmaker this youth-oriented offense needs.
Once McFadden broke loose for a 45-yard run to end the first quarter, that effectively should have ended Justin Fargas' hold on the starting job.
If staying strictly with Fargas on the first series was a token sign of respect for his years of crash-test-dummy service, the Raiders can check that off their to-do list. Now just give D-Mac the job, and the ball.
Fargas (one carry, 2 yards) and Michael Bush (three carries, 23 yards) will complement McFadden when needed, so it's not as if they should be shackled to the bench. In fact, a Cowboys linebacker told one of
his club officials this week that the Raiders may tout the league's top running back trio.The Raiders offense will experience plenty of growing pains this season, especially with quarterback JaMarcus Russell embarking on just his second year as the full-time starter.
McFadden's presence is needed to offset those setbacks.
He's not perfect. He may miss a blitz pick-up that leads to an easy sack, as happened on his first snap Thursday. He may get disturbingly caught from behind on a long run, as happened last year in a toe-injuring instance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
But he's a weapon, and if given more opportunities, he'll prove worthy of last year's No. 4 overall draft pick. Last year, injuries and sporadic playing time limited him to 499 yards rushing (4.4 yards per carry) and 285 yards receiving in 13 games.
In his two series Thursday, he had four carries for 63 yards and a 9-yard reception on a screen pass. As for the Raiders, it's no coincidence they had themselves a lead after his series.
What a bonus it would be if the Raiders' other ballyhooed first-round draft picks in recent years also come alive, including Russell (6-of-9, 50 yards, 0 touchdowns/interceptions), rookie wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (one catch for 8 yards) and safety Michael Huff (an interception but also a pass interference penalty in the end zone).
Russell will command the majority of attention this season by virtue of (a) his position, (b) his No. 1 overall draft status and (c) his weight.
Russell looked enormous in his unflattering uniform. He must be pushing close to 300 pounds, and he admitted at the start of training camp that he is a "little heavy." Thursday, he had a Santa Claus torso with thighs that resembled a defensive tackle's.
But Russell came to the Raiders with an oversized body. An 18-yard scramble on the Raiders' second series showed he's no dashboard hula girl (imagine: hips moving, head bobbing but feet staying still). He also rolled nicely to his right before heaving a pass nearly 50 yards that drew a pass interference penalty at the Cowboys' 8-yard line.
All the Raiders got out of that golden field position was a Sebastian Janikowski field goal for a 3-0 lead. Missed opportunities like that on their first possession (see: three points instead of seven) are why Janikowski is their all-time leading scorer and why they get outscored every year.
That's not to let the Raiders defense off the hook. Abysmal in stopping the run in recent seasons, the Raiders showed early progress before regressing to their generous state.
That's not the type of nostalgia needed in this 50th anniversary season. Nor is the sight of McFadden waiting for his turn on the sideline.
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