Walker has just 13 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown in seven games, with two or less catches in six of the seven. He had to be talked out of retiring and giving back his signing bonus in training camp.

"Javon has really brought his game to a whole new level the last few weeks, whether it's on the practice field or in the games," Cable said. "Javon Walker is in no way not going to be a part of this football team."

--Raiders DT Gerard Warren was rewarded with a big-money contract by the Denver Broncos and two years later was told his services were no longer required, eventually getting traded to the Raiders for a fifth-round draft pick.

So Warren wasn't all that shocked to see Hall get the ax in midseason.

"Doesn't surprise me at all. Been through it, seen it," Warren said. "It's part of the business, man. If somebody upstairs feels changes need to be made, they're going to make them no matter how minor or drastic they may seem."

--The Kwame Harris experiment may be coming to a close. Harris will start against the Panthers, but if he doesn't get Panthers end Julius Peppers under control, second-year man Mario Henderson will be given a chance to take his place.

Henderson was often criticized by previous coach Lane Kiffin for his lack of passion and aggressiveness, but when Harris was injured early in the season, Henderson stepped into the starting lineup in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, was not penalized, and the Raiders rushed for 300 yards.

He started again in Week 3 against Buffalo, with Harris returning to the lineup afterward.

The previous week, Cable said he wasn't inclined to remove Harris. After the Atlanta game, he is thinking differently.

"We need to get Mario Henderson to the point where he can compete with Kwame at that left tackle spot," Cable said. "We have not played well there, so we've put that into a competition mode."

When asked if it was possible Henderson could start against Carolina, Cable said, "It is not possible."

--RB Darren McFadden, out for the last two games with turf toe, was back on the field and wearing some new white shoes which were designed to better protect his toe.

McFadden had right turf toe during a Week 2 game against the Chiefs where he gained 164 yards and hasn't been the same since. As he was recovering from the right toe injury, his was struck with left turf toe.

The Raiders have sat him down for the past two weeks as rest is the only real method of treatment for turf toe. McFadden seemed to be struggling with the rigidity of the shoes.

"They don't bend at all," McFadden said. "They feel pretty good out there, but the main thing is building my confidence back up in my foot and trusting. Once I do that, I think I'll be all right."'

BY THE NUMBERS: 45.9 -- Percentage of incompletions by quarterback JaMarcus Russell deemed "poor throws" by STATS, Inc. It's the highest figure in the league among NFL starting quarterbacks.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "This is a soap opera. I just think we need to settle on something. We need to have a vision of what we're trying to take as a team. If you don't have a vision and you're just trying to plug in players, then you're always going to get the same results." -- Raiders strong safety Gibril Wilson.