"This is the Darren McFadden the Raiders had in mind when they made him the fourth pick of the 2008 draft, the type of back who can strike fear into defenses.

Having sat out two games with a hamstring injury, McFadden ran wild in Sunday's Mauling at Mile High. With four touchdowns, he tied the club record held by Art Powell (1963), Marcus Allen (1984) and Harvey Williams (1997).

His 57-yard touchdown run against the Broncos was the longest of his pro career and demonstrated the home run threat he hadn't shown in his first two, injury-hampered seasons.

On his 19-yard screen pass for another touchdown, he showed the full package - the speed, the elusiveness (he left a tackler grasping at air at the 5-yard line) and the power (he dragged another defender into the end zone).

The Raiders can build on many parts of the 59-14 rout, but no part was as promising as the 165-yard rushing performance of McFadden.

"He showed some tremendous skills," head coach Tom Cable said Monday. "His burst was there. He ran very physical, very tough."

There's no question in Cable's mind that the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up from Arkansas can be an elite back in the NFL.

"I think we thought that when we drafted him," he said. "You've just got to keep him on the field, healthy, and he's been productive. This year, he's probably taken it to a new level."

Jason Campbell, meanwhile, remains the No. 2 quarterback despite his exemplary work in Denver, Cable said. He reiterated that Bruce Gradkowski will start when his right shoulder is sound.

That might or might not be Sunday when the Raiders (3-4) take on the Seahawks at the Coliseum. The Raiders are 2-0 in the AFC West for the first time since 2001, and they hope to win back-to-back games for the first time since the last two games of the 2008 season."