As the Raiders gear up for their fourth and final preseason matchup, we focus on the players who must impress to make the roster.
It’s finally here – the last preseason contest of 2022. The last time this year Las Vegas plays in a scrimmage game that impacts neither the regular nor the postseason. The ‘final stretch’ before it gets real. The wait is almost over, and soon, Raider Nation will get to see that Derek Carr x Davante Adams connection we all crave so badly.
But first, the final showdown.
What a storyline the NFL is carved for fans league-wide. Really, it’s hard to write a better script to cap off the ’22 preseason. The undefeated Las Vegas Raiders, led by head coach Josh McDaniels, look to tie the knot on a perfect preseason under their first-year coach. Their opponent? McDaniels long-time employer, the New England Patriots.
Before agreeing to become the Raiders head coach this offseason, McDaniels was the offensive coordinator with the Patriots for a decade straight. McDaniels didn’t leave New England empty-handed, either. With McDaniels came to Raiders’ offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, among others. Even Las Vegas’ general manager Dave Ziegler came from New England.
Of course, staff aside, preseason sensation Jarrett Stidham is looking to show how far he’s come in a short amount of time with the Silver and Black. If there was ever a preseason game to tune into, it’s this one right here.
McDaniels and Belichick history aside, many players other than Stidham anxiously wait to show the football world what they can do – not for the same reasons as Stidham, though. As Jarrett will fight to show the Patriots what they lost when they traded him, others will fight to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Those players are who we’ll be discussing here; the players who need a strong showing against New England.