Heading into the final four games of the season, the Raiders’ running game is stuck in the mud.
The Raiders bottomed out in terms of rushing yards with 46 yards on 14 carries in a 34-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins, with Michael Bush gaining just 18 yards on 10 carries with no gain longer than 3 yards.
Just a week earlier was the Raiders’ previous low output, a 73-yard, 27-carry effort against the Chicago Bears. Coach Hue Jackson is fond of saying teams “throw to score and run to win,” and in the last two games, Oakland is averaging 2.9 yards per carry.
“Our offense is only going to work when we run the ball,” rookie guard Stefen Wisniewski said. “We’re a run-first team and last couple of weeks haven’t been running it like we should have been, and that’s why we’re not performing at our highest.”
With the Raiders leading last week against Chicago, Oakland still could run the ball with minimal success to use the clock. By the time Miami was up 20-0 after the first possession of the third quarter, the Raiders essentially abandoned the run.
“They just did a good job in general,” Bush said. “We got behind and got away from the run. They are a very good team on defense, and we got our butts kicked today.”
There still is no indication when Darren McFadden will return. McFadden has missed the last five games with a mid-foot sprain and will have conditioning issues to work through when he does return, making it seem unlikely he’d be ready to play Sunday in Green Bay.
Beginning with the Week 7 game against Kansas City, when McFadden left after two carries with his injury, Bush gained 461 yards on 96 carries and averaged 4.8 yards per attempt over four games.
In his last two, Bush has 87 yards on 34 attempts, averaging 2.6.
“We knew how good they were coming into the game,” Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake said. “We’ve played some of the top running teams in the league the last few weeks and done pretty well. We’re a tough, hard-nosed defense, and when teams come in trying to run the ball, stopping them is something we take a great deal of pride in.”
– Defensive tackle Richard Seymour was ejected in the third quarter after appearing to hit Miami left guard Richie Incognito with a left hook and then push him in the face mask with his right hand.
It was Seymour’s fifth personal foul this season and his first ejection since last year’s game in Pittsburgh, when he decked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with an open hand through his face mask.
“I apologize to my teammates, coaching staff and the organization, and also the Raider Nation,” Seymour said. “I’m disappointed that I wasn’t there to finish the game with my teammates. I think it’s an emotional game and I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me. No excuses.”
Said Jackson: “As I told him, he can’t get kicked out. He’s one of the rocks of this football team. You can’t do something to get yourself kicked out when you’re one of the leaders.”
Incognito, who has a reputation as an agitator, said, “I didn’t say anything to him. It was kind of out of the blue and caught me by surprise.”
– The Raiders are 6-25 in games in the Eastern time zone since 2002.
– Wide receiver Chaz Schilens led the Raiders with six receptions for 89 yards but left with a foot injury. Fellow wide receivers Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford were inactive with foot injuries.
Ford traveled with the team to Miami, Moore did not, indicating he may be closer to returning.
Also not finishing were defensive tackle John Henderson (knee) and tight end Kevin Boss (hip pointer)
