Takeaways From the Raiders 34-7 Win Over 49ers
The Las Vegas Raiders opened the 2023 preseason with a 34-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The game mainly consisted of backup players, but it was still a good performance by the Raiders, who had two joint practices before Sunday's game with the 49ers.
Raiders Defense
The Raiders defense did a good job getting after 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. Raiders defensive lineman John Jenkins sacked Lance on the game's first play. Two plays later, Jordan Willis and Isaac Rochell combined for another sack.
Defensive lineman Adam Butler added a sack along with rookie linebacker Amari Burney. The Raiders' defense sacked Lance four times, and according to NFL next gen stats, he was pressured 47% of the time.
The Raiders' defense only gave up six points, and it came on a fluke play; Lance threw a pass that Raiders cornerback Duke Shelly should have intercepted; the ball bounced out of his hands and into the hands of Ross Dwelley for the 49ers only touchdown.
"I think every player than plays on defense and every coach in our organization that's working on that side of the ball is doing everything they can every day to try to improve and get better," Head Coach Josh McDaniels said following the 34-7 victory. "That process started as soon as the season ended. Where it will ultimately lead to, I don't know, but I like our effort. Our attitude every day is the right type of attitude if you want to improve and get better."
Aiden O'Connell
Raiders rookie quarterback Aiden O'Connell looked good in his first NFL action. He looked comfortable in the Josh McDaniels system. O'Connell looked calm in the pocket and got the ball out on time. He was also accurate was accurate on his throws.
The quarterback completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. He helped the Raiders toward three touchdown drives. O'Connell will probably see most of the playing time this preseason as the Raiders try to bring him up to speed in the NFL. It will be interesting to see what O'Connell will do in the rest of preseason.
“There’s still a long way to go,” O’Connell tol The Athletic. “It’s a preseason game, so it’s somewhat abbreviated. It was a good first time, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Zamir White
Zamir White rushed 13 times for 43 yards and one touchdown. He had some nice runs, but seeing him run through more tackles would be nice.
White seemed to be an offense lineman dependent on Sunday; sometimes, he needs to use his speed and power to bounce things outside if the hole is not there.
“I felt great,” White told The Athletic. “(I performed) all right, but we could’ve done better.”
White will receive the bulk of the carries with Josh Jacobs still not with the team and will have a lot of time to get better at the running back position.
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