There's an injury epidemic running rampant in the AFC West backfields and apparently no one is immune. The Kansas City Chiefs already lost star running back Jamaal Charles for the season just two games into 2011, and now other teams are losing their stars as well. The San Diego Chargers are reportedly without Ryan Mathews into today's big match-up against the undefeated Green Bay Packers, while the Oakland Raiders are without Darren McFadden for yet another week against the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders and Chargers both have impressive back-ups, so they're likely better off than other teams having to deal with the same issues. The Chargers have Mike Tolbert back this week so there's some bolstering of the unit, although the loss of Mathews as a receiver out of the backfield will definitely hurt against the Packers' pass rushing unit. The Raiders have Michael Bush as McFadden's counterpart and he's always dangerous and would be a starter for most other teams in the league.
Still both teams will likely feel limited offensively today as they lose vital components to injury. Both teams have to hope the loss is minimal and that they'll both return next week.