ALAMEDA – The participation of Raiders wide receivers in the passing game has been a solo act lately.
Only one wide receiver has caught a pass in each of the past four games.
For two consecutive games, it was Javon Walker. Then it was Ronald Curry.
Ashley Lelie was the only wide receiver with a catch in Sunday's win at Denver.
It's not the optimal way to get the most out of the passing game. But the Raiders insist it's not by design.
"Just happens that way," quarterback JaMarcus Russell said. "On the touchdown to Ashley (in Denver) the play was originally for Ron, but they covered it. A step here, a step there, and look around, we had (Lelie) open."
Tight end Zach Miller leads the Raiders with 32 receptions, followed by running back Michael Bush with 18. Walker is third with 15 catches – and he is out for the season with an ankle injury and has missed the past two games.
Interim head coach Tom Cable points out the Raiders passed only 12 times in Denver. He's more concerned with more players being involved in the offense.
"You would like to see all the receivers have more touches, but it just didn't work out that way," Cable said. "Why it hasn't? I don't know. I'm not sure that's as big a deal as that when whoever is touching it does something with it. That's more important."
Russell said it also could be a situation in which he finds a rhythm with a receiver early and looks for that receiver throughout the game. But he would like to get more than one wide receiver involved.
"You hope it goes with everybody," Russell said. "It just so happened it was Ashley (in Denver)."
Injury update – Center Jake Grove (calf) and linebacker Ricky Brown (groin) are out for this weekend's game against Kansas City.
Grove has missed the past two games, and Brown has missed the past four.
Miller (groin), wide receiver Chaz Schilens (ankle) and defensive end Kalimba Edwards (hip) are questionable.
Schilens' injury has lingered since Nov. 9 and is causing tendinitis in his Achilles'. Miller was hurt in Denver, and Edwards was injured at the end of Thursday's practice.
Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/ raidersblog.
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