NFL Notes: McFadden the latest loss for Raiders

Oakland running back having knee surgery, will miss two to four weeks

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ALAMEDA -- Add yet another low to a long list of them for the Oakland Raiders during a seven-year run of losing.

The Raiders' latest loss dropped them to 25-75 since the start of the 2003 season, the worst 100-game stretch in the team's 50-year history. And never in that half-century of football has the offense performed as poorly as it has to start this season.

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.

Adding to the woes was news Monday that starting running back Darren McFadden will undergo surgery today 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.

The running game will be placed on the shoulders of Justin Fargas and Michael Bush, who lack McFadden's breakaway speed but are better between the tackles. Oakland is fifth worst in the league in rushing, averaging 3.5 yards per carry and 88.8 yards per game.

"It's really surprising," tight end Zach Miller said. "That's always been something we've been good at no matter what. We're just not blocking guys well. Teams have done stuff before and we've still been able to run the ball. We're just not getting the job done up front."

The Raiders spent so much time working on developing the passing game in the preseason that maybe the running game isn't as sharp as when it ranked in the top 10 each of the past two seasons.

Fixing the running game will be crucial to helping out Russell.

He has topped the 40 percent completion rate just once all season, and is the only quarterback in the NFL to have a mark so low in a game this season. He was 12 for 33 for 128 yards against the Texans, but head coach Tom Cable said it was one of his best performances of the season.

"He was on target all but really two throws," Cable said. "When you have that many drops -- I think there were nine that I counted -- if you put nine completions or at least the opportunity of nine completions on his deal, you'd say he might have been as good as anybody in pro football yesterday."

Oakland is starting a pair of rookie receivers in Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy. Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick, has just two catches in four games. Murphy is tied for the team lead with 11 catches, but lamented four dropped balls Sunday.

QUICK HITTERS -- Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb returned to practice Monday and is expected to start Sunday when the Eagles host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McNabb has been out since breaking his rib in the season opener. ... Eli Manning has been diagnosed with inflamed tissue in his right foot, or plantar fasciitis. The New York Giants quarterback had an MRI on Monday afternoon, and team physician Russell Warren told Manning he could play this weekend against the Raiders if he could tolerate the pain. ... Linebacker Calvin Pace rejoined the Jets after completing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. ... LeBron James called Browns receiver Braylon Edwards "childish" for allegedly punching James' friend early Monday morning outside of a Cleveland night club. ... Falcons coach Mike Smith says running back Jerious Norwood "is a full go" as he returns from his second concussion of the year. ... Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh will have surgery to repair a broken plate in his right thumb and could be out up to a month. ... Lions coach Jim Schwartz says quarterback Matthew Stafford is day to day with a knee injury. ... The Buccaneers cut kicker Mike Nugent a day after he missed two field goals in a 16-13 loss to the Redskins. The Bucs worked out former Colts kicker Shane Andrus and signed him as Nugent's replacement on Monday.