The Oakland Raiders hosted the Detroit Lions in preseason game No. 1 on Friday night, and came away with a 16-10 victory.
The Oakland Raiders played host to the Detroit Lions on Friday night, as both teams kicked off their 2018 preseason slate. These two franchises practiced against each other on Tuesday and Wednesday, so getting out there under the bright lights of the Oakland Coliseum must have been a nice change.
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Oakland got the party started on Friday night, as the Lions won the toss and deferred. In quarterback Derek Carr‘s only drive, he handed off to Marshawn Lynch on a first down, and Beast Mode rushed up the left side for a 60-yard touchdown.
However, that play was called back on a hold by rookie left tackle Kolton Miller.
Fellow rookie PJ Hall looked very good in his first game in the Silver and Black, getting pressure on Matt Cassel for a sack. On the next drive, he battled down a Cassel pass, displaying the kind of athleticism he showed during his time at Sam Houston State.
That led to the Raiders getting the ball back, and after a nice drive by quarterback Connor Cook, rookie Eddy Pineiro was able to put his first field goal of the preseason through the uprights.
Cook played well all along, and was responsible for the Raiders only touchdown on the evening. Buying time with his legs, Cook found new Raider Ryan Switzer in the end zone, and Switzer made a beautiful catch before leaping into the stands.
The touchdown put the Raiders up 10-0, and they would hang on to the lead the rest of the way.
Detroit finally got on the board in the second quarter, as running back Ameer Abdullah scored from one-yard out to make the score 10-7. Right before the half, it looked as if new head coach Jon Gruden set his rookie kicker up to kick from the dirt, and Pineiro did not let his coach down.
The former Florida standout blasted one through the uprights from 48 yards away from the dirt, giving the Raiders a 13-7 lead. In the fourth, Detroit countered with a field goal of their own to cut it to 13-10, but Pineiro was money once again, connecting from 45 yards out for his third field goal of the game.
Final score: Raiders 16 Lions 10
Highlights
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1028114248205983745
Bettings Odds
The Raiders were giving the Lions three points on the spread, and they ended up covering thanks to Pineiro’s late field goal. The over/under was set at 36 points, and with it basically being a field goal game, they did not come close to hitting that number. All odds were available throughout the week on OddsShark.com.
Three Stars
1. PJ Hall
Many people were shocked when the Raiders took Hall in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but he showed what he could do on Friday night. Hall not only notched his first sack of the preseason early, but also knocked down a Matt Cassel pass. He is certainly going to be trouble in the middle of the Raiders defensive line this season.
2. Marquel Lee
With a new defensive coordinator in place for 2018, Marquel Lee is taking it upon himself to make his case to be a starter in Paul Guenther’s 4-3 defense. Not only did he play much faster on Friday night, but smarter, and was flying all over the field. He finished with six tackles, including four solo, and certainly looked the part of starter in preseason game No. 1.
3. Connor Cook
The first quarterback in the game after Carr’s one series was Connor Cook, who is getting every opportunity to be the No. 2 signal-caller on this roster in 2018. Cook looked very good under center, making good decisions with his arm, and feet. In addition, he connected with Ryan Switzer for the Raiders only touchdown of the game, and likely will be the No. 2 guy against next weekend.
Other Notes
Keep an eye on the running back group moving forward this summer. We saw flashes from Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington on Friday night, and rookie Chris Warren III racked up nearly 90 yards on 13 carries. Sure, Beast Mode had the monster run of the night, but all three of these guys made their case to make the 53-man roster against the Lions.
Nick Nelson had a monster first game in the Silver and Black, racking up five solo tackles, and nearly getting his first interception. He also broke up two passes. Making a serious play to be a big part of the cornerback group in year one.
Next Week
The Oakland Raiders will hit the road next weekend, as they play their first road preseason game of the 2018 slate against the Los Angeles Rams. These two teams will meet up in Week 1 of the regular season, with the Rams heading to Oakland to take on the Silver and Black inside the Coliseum.