Oakland Raiders: 5 players who helped themselves vs. Seahawks
By John Buhler
With the rosters going from 90 men to 53, here are five Oakland Raiders that helped themselves with great games against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.
No, the preseason record was not the way that many in Raider Nation wanted it to go, but here we are. While the Oakland Raiders were unable to come away with a win in the preseason after falling to the Seattle Seahawks 17-13 on Thursday night, there were plenty of positive takeaways from try to make the 53-man roster day.
Until the final series, Oakland did a fine job defensively. The Raiders were able to get pressure against the Seahawks’ weak and bewildered offensive line. Oakland could lean on its running game to open up the pass. The special teams penalties largely disappeared. Maybe even a few guys playing tonight carved out roster spots or a role on the practice squad?
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five Raiders who helped themselves with great individual games against the Seahawks on Thursday night, albeit in a losing effort. There were so many great players it was hard to choose just five. This was the best game Oakland played this preseason, albeit none of the starters played in it.
28. . Linebacker. Michigan State Spartans. Shilique Calhoun. 5. player
It has not been an easy first two years in the league for Shilique Calhoun. The former Michigan State standout has fallen from a promising third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to possibly being cut by the Raiders in 2017. In short, Calhoun needed a big game to keep his Raiders career alive.
Calhoun progressed as the game went on. His energy picked up in the second half, as he was able to generate a great amount of pressure coming off the edge. Calhoun would finish with three tackles, all solo, two quarterback hits, a sack and a tackle for a loss of yardage.
His punishing sack where he came around the edge to stun Seahawks quarterback Austin Davis was a thing of beauty. It was a fast and physical play that Davis never saw coming. For a second there, it looked like Calhoun channeled all that was good for him from his days playing for Mark Dantonio at Michigan State.
It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for Calhoun. He has talent. There’s no denying that. The question with him comes down to consistency. He may not have had a good first three preseason games, but he certainly ended the exhibition season on a positive note.