The Las Vegas Raiders took on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, and here were some surprises from the matchup.
The 2022 NFL season is officially underway, as the Las Vegas Raiders battled it out against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night. For the Raiders, it was an outstanding start to the preseason slate, as they got out to a 20-0 lead, and did not allow a point until late in the third quarter.
In these kinds of games, what goes on early in the contest is the most important thing, and the Raiders certainly put on a display. They looked fast and determined, dominating the Jaguars on both sides of the ball early on.
Here, we look at three surprises from preseason Game No. 1.
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 surprises from the 2022 Hall of Fame Game
Raiders’ defense better than expected?
Las Vegas made some wholesale changes when it came to the defense this offseason, including bringing in a new defensive coordinator. On Thursday, the returns were instant, as they were flying all over the field, forcing turnovers, and looking stronger in the secondary than they have had in quite some time.
The Jaguars finally got on the board with a little over two minutes left in the third quarter in what was a dominant start for this Raiders defense. If this is a sign of things to come, that side of the ball may finally be something to get excited about in 2022.