Finally, football is finally back in our lives. The NFL returned when they opened their pre-season with a show between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars at the Canton Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. With so many Novices left on the bench in this head-to-head race, it wasn’t expected to be a very competitive affair and the Raiders were able to escape with a 27-11 victory.
Las Vegas scored in their first three possessions and managed to make a comfortable lead as Jacksonville—who held the bulk of their notable offensive players including quarterback Trevor Lawrence—was stagnant on that side of the ball. Raiders starter Jarrett Stidham finished with a 96-yard pass while completing 8 of 15 throws. Meanwhile, Jake Luton, who had a Jags start, completed 10 of 17 for 94 yards.
Below, you’ll find the key points from our first pre-season game of the year.
Why did the raiders win?
Giving credit to the kid in his hometown, Josh McDaniels – Raiders came to play right outside the gate. From the jump, Las Vegas looked reactive offensively, even with no key players like Derek Carr, Davante Adams and Darren Waller playing. Jarrett Stidham got the nod to start the game under center and led two shooting field runs on the property of the Opening Raiders. Those drives were topped by strong playback running back Josh Jacobs, who was constantly moving the chains during the time he was on court. He lunged for 30 yards on just five buggies and grabbed both targets for 14 yards. That success on the offensive side of the ball continued throughout the first half as Las Vegas were going 20-0 to really pull back.
Defensively, the invaders were facing backups, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a solid effort on their part. In the first half, the Las Vegas defense forced a three-shot, tripped, and watched Jacksonville miss a 60-yard field goal. This gritty defensive play continued for the greater part of the second half, out of touchdown time in the fourth quarter.
Why did you lose the Jaguar
Of course, the lack of offensive success comes with a pinch of salt because the Jaguars didn’t have any of their heavy hitters playing in this game. However, Jake Lawton hasn’t done much favors exactly for himself in trying to secure a place on the list. The offense struggled to move around the court while he was under position and was unable to put any points on the scoreboard. Although there was a missed field goal sprayed when Luton was playing, it wasn’t like it was an overwhelming kick by any measure because it came from 60 yards, so it didn’t exactly put his team in the best position to succeed. The only time the offense was able to put up points was when former NFL star Kyle Slaughter was around.
Meanwhile, it was a bit disconcerting to see their defense pushed early with some initially spinning along the front seven, specifically on the ground. In the first half, the Conquerors ran 95 yards on 4.5 yards per carry average and two touchdowns. For the game, Jags gave up 159 yards and three touchdowns. That will need to improve as they go through this pre-season.
turning point
As we approached the end of the first half, the Raiders had a 13-point lead. With the Jaguars returning the ball to start the second half and dropping less than two goals, however, it was conceivable that they could come back. But Garrett Stidham did his part in closing the door early on in this. With just over 90 seconds to play in the inning, Stidham took a 3rd and 8th shot, rolled to the right, and used his legs to lunge for 12 yards. This score raised the Conqueror’s Conqueror by 20, essentially eliminating any possibility of making this Jacksonville a ball game.
play the game
I mean, we should be giving this a first landing in the new year, right? With 13:36 left in the first half, the trailing attackers took Amir Abdullah first and an eight-yard goal to slip into the end zone and drive from the 50-yard drive to Las Vegas. Abdullah ended his night with this landing and 30 yards from the melee.
Not only did we get that score, but we also got our first touchdown celebration in 2022.
What’s Next
From here, the Raiders will return to Las Vegas and prepare for their show with the Minnesota Vikings, which takes place August 14 at Allegiant Stadium. As for the Jaguar, they will be preparing for a home show with the Cleveland Browns on August 12 at TIAA Bank Square.