The Raiders beat the Patriots on Friday, 23-6, to stay undefeated as the preseason came to a close. But that wasn’t the most encouraging part of the game for coach Josh McDaniels.
The Patriots played a lot of starters while the Raiders’ lineup was led by backups. Las Vegas dominated, anyway, especially on defense, as New England’s starting quarterback, Mac Jones, played well into the second quarter.
The Raiders were unfazed and jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. Here are this week’s winners and losers for the Raiders, with some winners perhaps earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
Winner: Raiders defense
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham watched his defense take on the Patriots’ starting offense and meet the challenge, despite deploying second and third-string players.
On the game’s first series, the Patriots went three-and-out and lost nine yards. Linebackers Luke Masterson and Darien Butler set the tone, combining on a tackle for loss on the game’s second play. Defensive end Malcolm Koonce added a sack soon after that to finish the drive.
That was the theme all evening long, regardless of who was in the game. Las Vegas lived in the Patriots’ backfield and ended up forcing three turnovers. In the final warmup for the regular season, Graham’s group looks ready to go.
Winner: DE Tashawn Bower
Tashawn Bower followed his impressive game last week against the Dolphins with an even better performance to close the preseason, possibly earning a roster spot in the process.
Bower notched two QB sacks, a QB hit, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and five total tackles. One of his plays was a two-for-one, as he got to Patriots QB Brian Hoyer for a strip-sack.
Fantastic play by J.J. Taylor to somehow come up with this fumble.
(Not so much for Justin Herron, who was beaten by ex-Patriot Tashawn Bower for a strip-sack) pic.twitter.com/7G0t94XI3E
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 27, 2022
Bower did all he could to convince McDaniels he deserves a spot on the Raiders’ Week 1 roster. Now, he’ll have to wait and see if it was enough. I think he makes the cut, however. And if he doesn’t, another team will be happy to have him.
Winner: LB Luke Masterson
Masterson had a hand in the defense’s banner day, intercepting a pass from Jones. He got some help from defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr., who supplied pressure, and Masterson added a nifty return after his INT.
OH MY, @LukeMasterson12 with the INT‼️
📺 Live on FOX NFL+ pic.twitter.com/sxBvFpvxCa
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 27, 2022
There are a lot of linebackers competing for backup spots in Las Vegas, and Masterson separated himself from the rest field during this game. He also made several special teams tackles, which only strengthened his case for making the 53-man roster.
Winner: WR Tyron Johnson
Just in case his status on the Raiders’ Week 1 roster was in doubt, wide receiver Tyron Johnson reminded everyone why he’s a near lock to make the squad, thanks to his blazing speed.
He hauled in a 45-yard reception from quarterback Chase Garbers, and Johnson would have likely scored a touchdown with a better throw.
T-BILLY TIME 🕒
📺 Live on FOX NFL+ pic.twitter.com/63vA5eYJVA
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 27, 2022
It was a surprise to see Johnson play in the final preseason game, but he made a statement. His fellow wideout, Keelan Cole, also made an appearance and had a solid game. But I still expect each player to make the cut, despite a challenge from WR D.J. Turner.
Winner: DE Malcolm Koonce
This week’s final winner is Malcolm Koonce. He played well to start the preseason, but Bower has had more flashy moments on the edge lately. Koonce got back on track with his sack on the game’s initial series.
Third down? No problem.
Malcolm Koonce with the sack!
📺 Now on FOX NFL+ pic.twitter.com/OahMCKE0Of
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 27, 2022
Koonce had some help from Jones, who tried to escape the pocket but ran right into the Raiders’ DE. But Koonce is paid to cause havoc in the backfield, and that’s what he did on this play.
Loser: DE Clelin Ferrell
Former first-round pick Clelin Ferrell has battled an injury for weeks and finally saw action against the Patriots. The problem for Ferrell is that it’s impossible to tell he played by looking at the box score.
He didn’t record a single stat, and I didn’t see him flash much playmaking ability, though he must have contributed to the defense’s strong performance on some level.
But could this be the end of the road for Ferrell in Las Vegas? With strong performances from Bower, Koonce, and others, and a new regime in town, it certainly could be.
Loser: OT Alex Leatherwood
I didn’t want to put Leatherwood on the losers list again. But he left me with little choice. He had multiple embarrassingly-bad plays, most notably getting pushed back and thrown to the ground by an undrafted free agent near the end of the first half.
Daniel Ekuale got the sack, but watch UDFA LaBryan Ray (74) on this play. Straight-up bulldozed ex-Alabama teammate Alex Leatherwood.
Feels like Ray has flashed in every practice/game since the start of camp. pic.twitter.com/9C0SpHVK0O
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 27, 2022
I don’t know what the Raiders plan to do with Leatherwood, but he needs a lot of practice and perhaps some sort of reset with his fundamentals. He’s too physically gifted to play so poorly. At least the Raiders starting line looked solid against New England, minus star left tackle Kolton Miller, who is being saved for the regular season.
Overall, the Raiders’ preseason was a smashing success. They went 4-0 and McDaniels’ bunch looked well-versed in new schemes on offense and defense. Plus, they played penalty-free football much of the time and committed just one infraction against New England.
Additionally, the Raiders didn’t commit a turnover in their four preseason triumphs, the first time that’s happened in the NFL since 2011.
But as we all know, these games don’t count. It appears the Raiders improved significantly this week against the Patriots, however, first during their joint practices and then on Friday.
The offensive line looks like it’s coming together, and the defense ended the preseason on a high note. Now it’s up to McDaniels to put a winning roster together, as it’s Super Bowl or bust for QB Derek Carr, WR Davante Adams, DE Maxx Crosby, and the entire franchise.
