The Raiders first preseason game is in the books and there was a lot to take away from their 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The sample size wasn’t big, but let’s talk about the good and the bad of Thursday’s preseason opener at Allegiant Stadium.
First the good…
Fernando Mendoza did not disappoint
The coaches won’t pay a ton of attention to stats, but Mendoza put up a nice-looking stat line in his first NFL game: 10/16, 96 passing yard and a touchdown.
Even better than the numbers were some of Mendoza’s quick throws and presence in the pocket. He made some mistakes, but overall, it was an encouraging effort by the Raiders’ future franchise quarterback.
Mendoza definitely looked the part in the first game of his NFL career.
Kirk Cousins looked like a QB1
Most Raider fans tuned in on Thursday night to watch Mendoza, but Cousins was incredibly sharp in his only drive of the game.
Cousins had clear control of the offense and played like the veteran QB that he is. His throws were on time. He was motivated and played like a starting quarterback, which is almost certainly what he is going to be week 1 against the Miami Dolphins.
Jack Bech finally looked like the player he was drafted to be
Bech might not create a lot of space, but the best quarterbacks in the league don’t need a receiver to create huge separation.
Cousins and Mendoza both had good connections with Bech and no one had reason to leave the stadium on Thursday night feeling better than Bech.
Last year’s second round pick ended the night with 3 receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown, and that’s exactly what the Raiders need him to be – a sure-handed receiver who can make catches in tight spaces and be a threat over the middle in the red zone.
The Raiders starting offensive line
A year ago, the Raiders had the worst offensive line in the NFL. On Thursday night the offensive line looked average at worst.
Cousins wasn’t sacked in the game and Mendoza’s sack was more on him and the coverage as it was the offensive line.
Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. combined to average 8.7 yards per carry, although that number was blown up a little by Washington’s 53-yard run in the second quarter.
There’s a lot to feel good about with this year’s offensive line in Las Vegas. The greatest position group failure of a year ago has finally been fixed.
Malik Benson and Mike Washington Jr. looked the part
Benson and Washington are two rookies that weren’t supposed to have much of a role as rookies, but both looked good against the Cardinals.
Washington had the aforementioned run, and Benson looks like a wide receiver with as much potential as anyone on the roster. Benson looks bigger than he was in college and if he can bring any kind of physical presence to the position, he’s going to blow past expectations in his first NFL season.
With Benson on the roster, Dont’e Thornton Jr. might be in a difficult spot to make the team.
Now the bad…
The young cornerbacks didn’t play well
For as much as we’ve heard about Hezekiah Masses, Jermod McCoy and Darien Porter, none stood out against the Cardinals.
All three cornerbacks were targeted on Thursday night and all three seemed overmatched. In anything, the touchdown on Porter required a perfect throw, but McCoy and Masses especially aren’t going to enjoy watching the film on Friday morning.
All three players deserve patience, but none looked anything like what reports have been saying about them in training camp.
Where was the pass rush?
With no Maxx Crosby in the lineup the Raiders defense looked a lot like they did last year in terms of pressuring the quarterback.
The rumor is that first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is going to dial up more blitzes this year, and if Thursday night was any indication, blitzing might be the only way the Raiders are going to get pressure on the quarterback from anyone other than Crosby.
The Tokyo Toe
Kansei Matsuzawa was an exciting story at training camp, but he doesn’t have elite leg strength, and he missed a 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
If you’re not going to have a big foot as a kicker, you better be accurate and unfortunately for Matsuzawa he didn’t have either in his first NFL game.
x: @raidersbeat