Las Vegas Raiders strong early in Hall of Fame Game win over Jaguars
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders moved to 1-0 for their 2022 preseason on Thursday night, dominating the Jacksonville Jaguars inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off their 2022 preseason inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, as they played the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game. Both teams were represented in this year’s Hall of Fame class, with Tony Boselli getting in for Jacksonville, and Cliff Branch finally getting in, though posthumously
When the game finally kicked off after a delay, the Raiders’ offense went to work, as Jarrett Stidham hit Keenan Cole for a long gainer. Their first drive would end like many drives ended last year, with Daniel Carlson booting a 32-yard field goal, giving Las Vegas a 3-0 lead.
Las Vegas not only opened the scoring but would be the only team to put up points in the first half, as the defense was all over the field. The unit dominated the Jaguars’ offense, and forced turnovers, and it is clear they are a much faster group than they were a year ago.
Raiders dominate Jacksonville on both sides of the ball
Getting out to a 20-0 lead going into halftime was a group effort, as Las Vegas proved they can run the ball effectively behind Josh Jacobs. Jacobs starting the game and playing significant minutes in the first quarter was a bit of a surprise, but he played well in the run and pass game, and as a whole, the Raiders running backs were outstanding in this one.
Rookie Zamir White stood out in a big way, Ameer Abdullah scored the first touchdown of the preseason and then did some fancy kick work, and Kenyan Drake also got some run. Austin Walters, a camp running back would even find the end zone late in the game, giving the Raiders a 27-3 lead.
Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who played under new head coach Josh McDaniels in New England, got the start and was excellent with his arm and his legs. He had a rushing touchdown, looked poised in the pocket, and based on his effort Thursday, and his relationship with McDaniels, he may have locked down the No. 2 spot behind Derek Carr.
Overall, this was exactly the way McDaniels and the Raiders wanted to kick off their preseason slate, and the head coach being at home was the icing on the cake. Truth be told, this is going to be an exciting team to watch all season long, and on Thursday, we got a little taste of what could end up being a special season in the desert.