October 4, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson (25) returns the kickoff during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE

During the Oakland Raiders’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, some key guys went down due to injury. Here are the statuses of these players:

Darren McFadden: Star running back Darren McFadden suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McFadden’s injury took place on the first play of the game, but he tried playing through it until aggravating it again in the second quarter. He did have X-rays, and they came back negative. He has missed practice the past two days and is not expected to play this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Mike Goodson: Back-up running back Mike Goodson also suffered a painful high ankle sprain against the Buccaneers last Sunday. No X-rays were taken, as the Raiders’ staff didn’t think it was necessary. He hasn’t been practicing since the injury, so it’s not likely that he’ll be able to play this week against the Ravens either.

Head coach Dennis Allen hasn’t ruled out McFadden or Goodson from playing this week, but it just doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be able to give it a go. They have both been spending time in protective boots, so the Raiders are preparing to face Baltimore without them.

That said, look for Taiwan Jones to step up and start at running back.

“I’m definitely excited. There’s an opportunity for me to extend my role on the team,” Jones said. “I’m getting the opportunity so I want to make the most of it.”

On another note, seven-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour has missed practice the past two days due to a hamstring injury.

The Raiders allowed 251 rushing yards to rookie Doug Martin last week, so if Seymour doesn’t play, how many yards will Ray Rice rack up?

With these injuries, the Raiders desperately need players to step up and contribute to the team, especially if they want to make the postseason (which everybody does). Look for Carson Palmer to throw a lot of passes come Sunday, as the Raiders will probably crawl away from their running game without their top two running backs.