Getty Starting center for the Oakland Raiders, Rodney Hudson
The trade deadline has passed and the Oakland Raiders weren’t buyers or sellers. However, they did decide to add some players via free agency. Notably, they added center Erik Magnuson from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad. While this normally wouldn’t be a significant move, it could have bigger implications. The team lost starting pro bowl center Rodney Hudson to injury early in the game versus the Houston Texans.
It didn’t look good as he had to be carted into the locker room and couldn’t put weight on his right leg. Based on a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Hudson won’t be going on injured reserve, but he’s going to miss time.
Hudson missing any games for the Raiders is a huge blow as he’s been their most consistent player since Khalil Mack was traded. However, it’s good news that he’s not going to miss the rest of the season. Undrafted rookie Andre James played well when Hudson went out, but it’s going to be impossible to replace his impact as a pass protector and leader.
The Raiders Had Their Starting Offensive Line for Less Than One Quarter
This is far from the first adversity the Raider offensive line has had to overcome this season. During training camp, starting right guard Gabe Jackson hurt his MCL and it caused him to miss the team’s first five games. Richie Incognito missed the first two games of the season due to suspension. Trent Brown missed Week 7’s matchup versus the Green Bay Packers thanks to a calf strain.
Week 8 was supposed to be the first time the world got to see this offensive line at full strength. It lasted barely more than half a quarter before Hudson went down. Even without Hudson, the offensive line didn’t give up a sack on Derek Carr. It’s a testament to how good of a job Tom Cable has done with this unit that even when backups have to play large roles, they still don’t give up sacks. David Sharpe helped keep Carr clean in relief of Brown during the game against the Packers. Hudson will be missed, but Cable has seemed to figure out a way to get the best out every player on his offensive line.
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Raiders About to Play Three Straight Home Games
The Raiders just got through one of the most brutal road trips in NFL history as they didn’t play a game at their home stadium for five straight games – four of them against teams with winning records. Now that they’ve gotten through that stretch, they are rewarded with three straight games at home against teams that don’t have winning records.
If Oakland has any playoff aspirations, they need to go on a run. Three wins in a row at home would be a big start towards a successful season. The Raiders may have lost two straight games towards the end of their trip, but all things considered, it could’ve been much worse. It’s now time for the team to step up and start winning games that they should win.