The 2011 regular NFL season will soon come to a close, and as it often is, it's been a roller coaster season for many teams this year, especially those who've been hit hard by injuries. My team, or I should say my favorite team, the Oakland Raiders, was just one of the teams who has had a lengthy list of player injuries in 2011.
At week one, their injury list was fairly minimal. Recently signed tight end Kevin Boss had to sit out for the game opener in Denver after suffering a knee sprain in preseason, and receiver Louis Murphy had a sports' hernia. The Raiders were able to defeat the Broncos, 23-20.
Heading into week two facing the Buffalo Bills, the Raiders' injury outlook was starting to look a bit bleak. Jacoby Ford was out with a hamstring injury, and the injury report included a dozen players. They looked pretty beat up going into Buffalo, and although they almost got the victory, they ended up with a heartbreaking loss instead.
In week five it began to seem like a black cloud was following the Raiders. Their iconic owner, Al Davis, passed away the day before they faced the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Tight end Richard Gordon was out with a hand injury, but all in all, the team was fairly healthy, and defeated Houston despite having the odds against them.
The very next week, in the Raiders' victory over the Cleveland Browns, Oakland's quarterback, Jason Campbell, suffered one of the worst injuries of the season. He broke his collarbone, and it may have been the last game he'll play wearing silver and black. At the time, there was hope that he might return in December, but just before the final game of the season, he still hasn't fully recovered.
Then we have week seven. That was the week in which one of the best running backs in the NFL went down. Darren McFadden left the field with a foot injury and we haven't seen him since. Though it was initially thought to be a minor mid-foot sprain, it turned out to be a Lisfranc injury, which takes a lot longer to recover from, and the odds of his return this season seem to be fading quickly.
Week ten in San Diego saw receiver Jacoby Ford suffer an ankle sprain, and he became yet another player to go down with a foot injury. He's just now getting back on the field at practice for week 17, and he'll hopefully have an impact in the team's second game against the Chargers at home in Oakland.
The number of injured players this year make for a very lengthy list, but that's how it goes in football. If the Oakland Raiders can overcome all they've been hit with this year and continue on to the playoffs, they will be one exceptionally resilient team.
