Oakland failed to score a touchdown for a second straight week in a 29-3 loss at Houston and managed just 165 yards of total offense. That marked the third straight week the Raiders failed to reach even that low bar, the first time the team has ever had three such games in succession.
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Adding to the woes was news Monday that starting running back Darren McFadden will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his knee and miss two to four weeks. With a quarterback who can’t even complete 40 percent of his passes, a hit to the struggling running game will only make things worse for Oakland.
McFadden injured his knee during his worst game as a pro, finishing with negative-3 yards rushing on six carries. He is averaging 36.3 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry this season — far from the production the Raiders expected when they drafted him fourth overall in 2008.
Since rushing for 164 yards in his second game as a pro last year against Kansas City, McFadden has been held to 434 yards in 15 games with a 3.3 yards per carry average. He’s dealt with two turf toe injuries, an injured shoulder and now a knee problem.