Running back Darren McFadden was back, and so was receiver Jacoby Ford.
That was enough to give Raiders head coach Hue Jackson reason to smile on a day when quarterback Jason Campbell had to sit out practice after taking a hit to the head Saturday night against the 49ers.
“We got some of my toys back,” Jackson told reporters after practice Monday. “I’m excited about that. Got a lot faster. Got an opportunity to score more touchdowns. All those things showed up today.”
The dynamic duo had missed the first two exhibition games, McFadden with a broken orbital bone suffered early in training camp and Ford with a broken left hand from the first day of full-contact drills July 30.
Together, they scored 17 touchdowns last season. McFadden scored 10 of the TDs, while rushing for 1,157 yards. Ford caught 25 passes – averaging 29.4 yards per reception – and returned three kickoffs for scores.
Multiple reports indicated both players looked sharp and quick in Monday’s practice.
“It wasn’t anything that was holding me back as far as legs or anything,” McFadden told reporters. “It wasn’t like I was going to miss a step. I was just going back out there and getting back used to running plays.”
Sports
Said Ford of his hand: “Actually, it felt fine. Didn’t feel anything at all. That’s a good sign.”
Jackson, however, said he’s not sure if he’s going to expose McFadden in either of the remaining two exhibition games, saying, “I just might keep the cellophane wrap on him.”
Also returning to practice was rookie running back Taiwan Jones from a hamstring injury suffered on the third day of training camp. Jones, a fourth-round pick from Eastern Washington, was one of the fastest players in the draft, reportedly running 4.27 and 4.35 40-yard sprints.
