In a lopsided loss, the knee-jerk reaction is to think that everything went wrong. But the Las Vegas Raiders actually put a lot of good stuff on film during their 27-14 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The point of these exhibition matches for teams is to get better and see who belongs on the 53-man roster and practice squad when the regular season begins. Last week, several Raiders had outings that they would surely like back, as in such a loss, a lot of folks didn't accomplish what they set out to.
So, let's take a look at five players who didn't execute particularly well in the opener and badly need a bounce-back performance against the Houston Texans. These Raiders have plenty at stake in Week 2 of the preseason, as the clock is ticking for them to either make the team or move up in the rotation.
5 Raiders who badly need to bounce back against Texans in preseason Week 2
Zeke Masses, CB
Masses had a tough outing in his first real NFL action, as he got picked on by the Cardinals' passing attack, missed two tackles and turned in the third-lowest Pro Football Focus grade on the Las Vegas defense. After so much training camp hype, this was a grave disappointment for him and the fans.
And although Darien Porter seems to have a grip on the starting job for now, Masses responded at joint practices with a strong performance and could continue to challenge for the spot if he stacks days like the ones he had during camp and on Tuesday against the Houston Texans.
Jermod McCoy, CB
McCoy also got picked on by Arizona through the air, as they isolated him and connected on two touchdowns. While he was a steady tackler during the game and had some solid reps, McCoy also got beat on another route for a significant game. That said, it was his first game in quite some time.
With his sea legs hopefully underneath him a bit more now, McCoy has a chance to ascend in the cornerback pecking order once again. His talent speaks for itself, so he'll never truly be out of the running for reps, but a good outing against the Texans would go a really long way for the youngster.
Jordan Meredith, IOL
Meredith is already dangerously close to not making this roster in Las Vegas, and his effort last Thursday certainly didn't help. He messed up a stunt with Jackson Powers-Johnson and got Fernando Mendoza sacked, and Meredith also got quickly tossed aside to give up another pressure.
Versatility was his calling card, and now other versatile players are in the building. If there is even room for him, Meredith earning a roster spot will be purely about his ability, and not how many positions he can play compared to what his cost is. He needs to bounce back, or he'll be ousted.
Aidan O'Connell, QB
O'Connell was running with the third-team offense last week, and he and the group just looked out of rhythm. Going 4-for-13 in a preseason game isn't really what Klint Kubiak and Co. want to see, so AOC will have to improve massively if he wants to stick around or get traded somewhere else.
Kansei Matsuzawa, K
Matsuzawa was already facing an uphill climb to make the active roster, but a landing zone penalty and missing a 38-yarder may have already shut the door on his chances. Maybe with a bounce-back showing or two, he can change the Raiders' minds. That starts on Thursday against Houston.
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