Oakland Raiders: 5 players that need a better game vs. Seahawks

Not every member of the Oakland Raiders shined in the third preseason game versus the Dallas Cowboys. Here are five that need a better game versus Seattle.

Though the result was not what we wanted, the Oakland Raiders played their best preseason game of the summer against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. Oakland led for most of the game, but faltered in the fourth quarter to fall 24-20 to Dallas in Arlington.

The culprits for the Raiders’ defeat had to be special teams penalties, secondary miscues and an inability to bring the Dallas ground game to a halt. That being said, Oakland showed that it can dissect an opposing defense in a number of ways with its potent offense.

It also showed that the defense doesn’t have to give up the big play all the time. Oakland was actually able to force a strong Cowboys offense to punt on four straight positions. Third-down defense was a positive improvement for the Raiders in this game.

Before the Raiders take on their last preseason opponent in the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, let’s take a look at five Raiders that will want to have a better final preseason game than the one they just played against the Cowboys.

While he was the preseason wonder for the Raiders last year, second-year running back Jalen Richard hasn’t played all that well in the first three preseason games. He played sparingly on Saturday against the Cowboys, mustering only one yard on one carry.

This is problematic for Richard, as it seems that he could be on the outside looking in at a roster spot. We know that Marshawn Lynch will be the starting running back for Oakland in Week 1 versus the Tennessee Titans on September 10. After that, it looks to be a three-man race for two spots between Richard, DeAndre Washington and rookie Elijah Hood.

Washington had an impressive game against the Cowboys, one where he had a terrific 19-yard run. Hood did not play in the first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, but has looked promising in the last two against the Los Angeles Rams and the Cowboys.

Of course, the Raiders aren’t going to part ways with their three young running backs in Hood, Richard and Washington. However, only two of them are guaranteed to make the 53-man roster. All three do have practice squad eligibility. Could Richard be a practice squad player? Sure, but that would be a far cry from the buzz he generated out of camp last year to make the opening day roster.