| Taiwan Jones had his eyes on the Raiders’ backup running back job behind Darren McFadden. Turns out, he’s been an ace special teams player, but Jones said he's still focused on becoming No. 2 in the backfield. (US Presswire) |
Running back Taiwan Jones, arguably the fastest player on the Raiders, hoped to make a big impact this season as Darren McFadden's primary backup.
He lost that job to Mike Goodson, and through four games Jones doesn't have a single carry or reception.
That doesn't mean he hasn't made his mark. He leads the Raiders in special-teams tackles with five, four of them solo stops. Most of his tackles have come in punt coverage where he uses his blazing speed to get downfield and his experience as a college cornerback to make tackles.
"That was pretty much my role, special teams, so I just took pride in it and did whatever I could," Jones said.
Jones said he had never covered punts until coming to the Raiders last year as a fourth-round draft pick out of Eastern Washington.
"It's pretty easy as far as teaching and technique," he said. "My mindset is just get past (one man) and make the tackle. It's pretty simple."
Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Jones' lack of playing time on offense is due mostly to injuries -- a hamstring issue in training camp and an injury to his ribs early in the season -- and not ball security concerns.
"I definitely want to be out there carrying the ball, playing running back," Jones said. "But that's not in my hands. I don't control that. It's always tough, but you got to be patient in this league and trust the coaches know what they're doing."
Jones opened the season as the Raiders' No. 1 kick returner, replacing the injured Jacoby Ford. But he muffed the first kickoff he fielded in the opener against San Diego. Goodson replaced Jones as the top kick-returner the next week at Miami.
Feet don't fail me: Raiders starting DT Tommy Kelly missed practice Thursday, one day after injuring a foot in practice. Allen said he expects Kelly to return to practice Friday and play against Atlanta.
"We chose to keep him out today," Allen said. "I fully anticipate that he'll practice tomorrow and be OK to play. But again, we’ll evaluate that tomorrow and see where we’re at. He seems to think he’s going to be all right."
The Raiders have been plagued by foot injuries to some of their top players. McFadden missed the final nine games last year after suffering a Lisfranc injury. Ford missed six games last year with a Lisfranc injury. He re-injured his foot during the preseason this year and underwent season-ending surgery. Starting CB Shawntae Spencer missed the past two games with a sprained right foot and will almost certainly miss Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"That seems to be something that’s going around the league," Allen said. "I know there’s been a few guys that have had foot injuries that have cost them a lot of time. It’s something we have to continue to look at and try to figure out the reasons, why those things occur."
Extra points: Spencer, starting right tackle Khalif Barnes (groin) and reserve TE Richard Gordon (hamstring) all missed practice again and will likely miss Sunday's game. Regular starting FS Michael Huff is in line to make his third-straight start at left cornerback, and Willie Smith is expected to start for the third straight game at right tackle. Allen said he has yet to decide whether DE Andre Carter will make his Raiders debut at Atlanta. "He's getting closer every day," Allen said. "He's had 2 1/2 weeks of work getting back into football shape. Yesterday was the first time he actually practiced in pads. I'm getting more comfortable with where he's at."
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.