Las Vegas Raiders welcome fans to Allegiant Stadium in style, beat Seahawks
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders opened up their 2021 preseason slate on Saturday night, dominating the Seattle Seahawks inside Allegiant Stadium.
Starting with the first drive of the game, the Las Vegas Raiders dominated the Seattle Seahawks in the first half, as the defense certainly came to play. Led by a strong half from quarterback Nathan Peterman as well, the Silver and Black went into halftime with a 13-0 lead, a lead they would never relinquish.
When it was all said and done, the Raiders were definitely the deeper team in this one, as they were able to pound the ball with running back Trey Ragas. An undrafted rookie who has been drawing rave reviews this summer, Ragas put in the kind of effort that could lead to him earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
For the game, Ragas rushed for over 60 yards, and his one-yard touchdown to cap off the first drive of the game gave the team the lead for would prove to be for good. Fellow running back B.J. Emmons also ran the ball well, scoring a second-half touchdown, averaging five yards per carry during the game, including a 22-yard scamper.
The emergence of both players could spell the end for Jalen Richard in the Silver and Black.
Raiders looked solid on both sides of the ball
While the young running backs and Peterman did a great job on defense, one thing that really stood out was how well the defense played. Getting tremendous pressure up front, the Raiders defensive line was better than advertised, and we even saw Clelin Ferrell make his presence felt in the first half.
2021 fifth-round pick Nate Hobbs looked good early as well, getting what appeared to be a strip-sack, and while Geno Smith was ruled down, it was still an outstanding play by a player looking to lock down the slot cornerback job.
With both Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota on the sideline, it was the Peterman Show, and he did not disappoint, connecting with Zay Jones early. Peterman also did a tremendous job connecting with Keelan Doss and D.J. Turner, as the two young wideouts combined for 13 catches in the victory.
From here, the Raiders will now turn their attention to another strong week of practice before taking on two more NFC West teams on the road to close out the 2021 preseason. Unlike other seasons, the preseason is now only three games, so these young players and veterans looking to make this team have two more dress rehearsals before the Week 1 battle against Baltimore.