Oakland Raiders free safety Charles Woodson suffered a dislocated shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Bengals, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. He may be forced to sit a week or more, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.
Oakland has also lost defensive back Nate Allen for a least a couple weeks after tearing his MCL, according to Rapoport.
Woodson is in his 18th season in the league, and has been known to play through injury in the past. He will likely be sitting out next week against the Baltimore Ravens, but he is already campaigning against it, according to Rapoport.
The timetable for his recovery is unsure at the moment, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. The Raiders pass defense will have to be stronger this weekend, as they let Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton throw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Woodson is a big player for the Raiders, and he brings leadership through years of experience. Last season with Oakland, Woodson had a combined 112 tackles and four interceptions. He also has played a full 16 games in both seasons since returning to Oakland, showing that he can be a durable player even at 38-years old.
Losing Woodson is a tough loss in itself, but combining that with the loss Allen is a huge blow to the Raiders' secondary. This was Allen's first season with the Raiders, and last season with the Philadelphia Eagles he grabbed four interceptions and made 62 combined tackles.
Without both Woodson and Allen, the Raiders are looking weak on the back end, but Oakland brought back safety Taylor Mays in response, according to Ian Rapoport. The Raiders plan to start Mays against the Ravens this weekend, and are hoping his years in Cincinnati will bring great experience. Mays played for the Bengals for four seasons, and each year he saw quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens twice.
Oakland will need a better performance from their secondary this weekend if they want a win, but without both Woodson and Allen it will likely be a difficult task.
