ALAMEDA – Nate Allen was supposed to be a permanent fixture in this Raiders defense, a sideline-to-sideline ball hawk set to play most every snap this season. That was the plan, supported by a solid preseason that showed he was a real scheme fit.
Then, just a few snaps into the regular-season opener, he got tackled by his own guy. Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong rolled into the side of Allen’s right knee. The incident wasn’t pretty. Player and team feared he tore an ACL, that he was lost for the season shortly after it began.
A day later Allen was told only his MCL was torn, that he didn’t need surgery and would be placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.