Oakland Raiders: What we learned from Preseason Week 2
By Austin Gayle
May 8, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (97) at rookie minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mario Edwards Jr. Proves he Can Create Pressure on the Quarterback
After having an unimpressive debut for the Raiders in their Preseason Week 1 matchup against St. Louis, rookie defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. looked to have improved dramatically and put in quality work against Minnesota’s second-team offensive line.
Edwards Jr. recorded a half-sack on a play in which both he and another rookie forced Viking’s backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke to fumble the football resulting in Oakland’s second turnover of the game.
Although that was the only play Edwards really received statistically, he made his presence known constantly in the backfield. Coming off a game in which Edwards Jr. didn’t pressure the quarterback once, he rebounded well with multiple notable pass rushing attempts.
Mario Edwards Jr. getting good pressure against the 2nd teamers. Will get into the rotation.
— Christopher Hansen (@ChrisHansenNFL) August 23, 2015
Though I still would like to see him string together multiple strong performances such as this one, I am still impressed with what Edwards did against Minnesota and am surprisingly looking forward to his performance against the Cardinals on Sunday.
Next: Heeney Continues to Impress