There are still approximately two weeks to go before the Oregon Ducks kickoff the 2019 season in Arlington, Texas versus the Auburn Tigers, but given the crippling hits the Ducks have sustained to the wide receiver position in recent days, it’s hard to say whether head coach Mario Cristobal should hopelessly lobby for more time to in order to heal his team before the opener, or appeal to play the game as soon as possible.

The first bit of bad news came roughly two weeks ago, when it was announced that senior wideout Brenden Schooler would be sidelined until likely early October in order to recover from a foot injury suffered one week into fall camp.

The second blow came this past week, when true freshman JR Waters also suffered a foot injury that required a procedure, sidelining him for the next four to six weeks.

Oregon freshman receiver JR Waters has foot surgery, out 4-6 weekshttps://t.co/4ztkshb1il

— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) August 17, 2019

The third, and perhaps most crushing blow of all, however, came this past Saturday, as during the Ducks’ second fall camp scrimmage, prized recruit and hopeful first-year star Mycah Pittman injured his shoulder diving for a catch. The injury, according to a statement Cristobal made through the university Monday, will sideline Pittman for the next six to eight weeks.

Injuries and football have long walked hand-in-hand, but three significant fall camp injuries to a position group that was already under intense scrutiny heading into the upcoming season feels particularly cruel. Couple that with the fact that Pittman might have very well been Oregon’s most indispensable player on offense (outside of Justin Herbert), and it begins to paint a pretty drab picture as you try to envision what the offense looks like without Pittman in it.

So what does this offense look like without Pittman and his injured teammates at receiver?

For the next several weeks, there will be a particularly heavy burden on grad transfer Juwan Johnson, juniors Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson, redshirt freshman Bryan Addison, and true freshman Josh Delgado to not only produce, but to also stay healthy. The most optimistic scenario would have Schooler and Waters returning for the Ducks’ final non-conference game of the regular season versus FCS opponent Montana on September 16, though it seems far more likely that Oregon will see neither return to lineup until their Pac-12 home opener versus Cal on October 5. Pittman’s return, meanwhile, figures to come even later in the Pac-12 schedule. Until then, the onus is on the aforementioned five, plus Oregon’s tight ends (who have also been banged up for most of fall camp) to be reliable targets for Herbert in the passing game until reinforcements arrive.

There will also be considerable pressure on Ducks offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo to make chicken salad out of the leftover ingredients he has at receiver. Already carrying a healthy amount of skepticism concerning his abilities as an offensive play-caller coming into the upcoming season, the first half of the Ducks’ schedule, beginning with the Auburn game, will fairly or unfairly serve as an early referendum on how far the Oregon offense has come. Especially, after a string of lackluster performances punctuated the end of the 2018 season. How well Arroyo and the offensive staff is able to scheme around the obvious holes at receiver may be as intriguing as any storyline surrounding the program over the first few weeks of the season.

One potential way for the Ducks mitigate the extended absences of Pittman, Schooler, and Waters would be to increase the usage of their deep stable of running backs in the passing game. Being able to run the ball effectively, consistently, is probably the perfect remedy for Oregon’s anticipated shortcomings at wide receiver as the season begins. Beyond that, however, finding different ways to utilize guys like CJ Verdell (who finished third on the team in receptions last season) and Sean Dollars (who was ranked as the nation’s no. 2 all-purpose back coming out of high school) could provide the air attack with a bit of a lift, specifically in key down and distance situations.

Make no mistake, though. In this moment, with Pittman virtually guaranteed to miss the first half of the season, the Ducks are arguably as compromised at receiver than they were even last year. However, after enduring an offseason filled with criticism from naysayers and skeptics, the opportunity is there for the remaining, largely veteran core to change the conversation around their ability to be relied upon.

If you’re a Duck fan, you can only hope that the outside noise has served as fuel for a season to be defined by redemption, not further regression.