The Oakland Raiders' bye week has come at an ideal time for wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.
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Now nine days removed from the strained neck and concussion suffered on a nasty hit by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Mundy, Heyward-Bey took part in stretches and drills with the first-team offense during the media window of practice on Tuesday, according to Paul Gutierrez of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
It was Heyward-Bey's first practice since suffering the injury, and it's a good preliminary sign the Raiders will have him back in the lineup when they meet the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 14.
"I'm not going to miss a beat when I get back. I'm just going to be the same guy, working hard and trying to make plays," Heyward-Bey said, according to CSNBayArea.com.
Heyward-Bey was hospitalized last Sunday after absorbing Mundy's hit in the fourth quarter of the Raiders' 34-31 win over the Steelers. Mundy was fined $21,000 for the play.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.