Raiders get Hemingway back as Rams arrive without Adams and maybe Nacua

The Raiders have not had much go their way since the 3-0 start, so take Saturday's injury ledger as a small deposit. Las Vegas listed exactly one questionable player on its final Week 7 report ahead of Sunday's 1:25 p.m. PT kickoff against the Rams at Allegiant Stadium: rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., with foot and back injuries. Tight end Carter Runyon and receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. are out, and both are on injured reserve rather than the active roster.

Defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway cleared concussion protocol and will play, Heavy reported after Klint Kubiak's Friday announcement. Hemingway has started five games this season, and the interior defensive line was a visible problem in the 33-30 loss to Buffalo. On Washington, Kubiak said, "We're expecting him to be ready." The rookie ran nine times for 43 yards on a season-high 23 snaps against the Bills, which led the team and says more about the run game than it does about him.

The Rams arrive in worse repair. Los Angeles ruled out linebacker Nate Landman with a concussion and listed receiver Puka Nacua (calf) and cornerback Trent McDuffie (groin) as questionable. Sean McVay called Nacua's injury "minor" and added, "I don't think he knows exactly when it occurred." Davante Adams is already out six to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury and defensive tackle Poona Ford is done for the year, per the Associated Press. Aaron Donald and Byron Young were given rest days, not injury designations.

Call this next part opinion. A 3-3 team that cannot run the ball and cannot close games will not get many softer setups than a 2-4 opponent missing its best receiver, its best run-stopper and the linebacker who makes the defensive calls. If Las Vegas loses this one at home, the eight-game stretch it is sitting in the middle of stops being a test and starts being a verdict.

One loose end from the Buffalo game got tied off. Bills safety Sam Franklin Jr. won his appeal of a one-game suspension for spitting at a Raiders player, and the punishment was reduced to a fine. Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, remains tied for the NFL lead with 14 touchdown passes, a number that keeps getting lost in the weekly argument about Fernando Mendoza.

Watch Thornton's clock. Kubiak said the receiver will not be activated for this game, and if he is not activated by Wednesday, his season is over. Nacua's status gets settled Sunday morning.