A Few Huge Takeaways From Raiders 34-17 Win Over Rams
After a successful first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers last week, the Las Vegas Raiders took on the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night and won 34-17.
All but five of the Raiders starters played in the preseason contest. Offensive lineman Kolton Miller and Dylan Parham, receiver Hunter Renfrow and defensive linemen Chandler Jones and Bilai Nichols either got the night off or were out because of injuries.
Jimmy Garoppolo' Debut
New Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo saw his first action in a Raiders uniform. He played on the first drive and led the Raiders down the field on a seven-yard touchdown run by Brandon Bolden.
Garoppolo went 4-4 as he tried to shake off the rust.
"It felt good to knock some of the rust off," Garoppolo told The Athletic. "To get in the game flow with some of the guys and work on the little things. I thought the guys played well. … I wanted to play, and we worked well at a fast pace, which is important in this offense."
O'Connell Shines Again
Rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell backed up last week's performance with another good performance on Saturday against the Rams.
O'Connell threw for 163 yards and two touchdown passes, completing 11 of 18 passes. The quarterback did miss a couple of throws, but once again, he looked comfortable in the pocket and posted running the offense.
O'Connell should be on the verge of beating out Brian Hoyer for the backup quarterback job. Hoyer finished the game with 144 yards passing and 12 out of 22 passes. Hoyer did throw a pick-six in the game.
Defensive Standouts
Linebacker Drake Thomas led the Raiders in tackles with 12; he was all over the place. Thomas has a real nose for the ball.
Edge rusher Malcolm Koonce finally showed some life; he was in the Rams' backfield a lot on Saturday. Koonce has had a strong training camp; it will carry over into the season. The Raiders need Koonce to play well; you can always have a few pass rushers.
Isaiah Pola-Mao and David Long Jr. played well. Long started alongside Marcus Peters, while Pola-Mao returned an interception for a touchdown.
Do you play fantasy sports? Check out Trophy Smack for your next league prize!
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our Youtube channel & Newsletter for SR Original Shows & more!
Finally, give our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok & Threads a follow, all of which have great content!