On Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders battled it out against the San Francisco 49ers in a second joint practice, and while they suffered a scare early on, you have to like the vibe coming out of the workout. The Raiders defense stymied the 49ers passing attack, intercepting the football time and time again as the starting defense look fast and opportunistic according to reports.
All told, the Raiders defense had six interceptions against the 49ers in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, including two from linebacker Robert Spillane. The veteran linebacker was the big addition to the Raiders linebacker room this offseason, and if Friday is any indication, they made the right move by signing him in free agency.
Marcus Peters, Luke Masterson, Duke Shelley, and Marcus Epps also had interceptions on the day.
The Raiders defense has struggled with getting turnovers for a years now, so seeing this kind of statistic, even during joint practices is a good sign. The offense should be strong in Las Vegas in 2023, especially if Josh Jacobs returns, so if their defense can play at this kind of level, the Raiders could actually be better than most expect them to be.
Raiders star WR leave practice early with a leg injury
It was not all sunshine and rainbows on Friday, as Davante Adams left practice after being leveled on the first play of the team sessions. Adams was down on the field for some time before being helped to the sideline pointing to his calf according to those who were in attendance.
Later in the day, Vinny Bonsignore from the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweeted this out:
Update on @Raiders WR Davante Adams: Sense is, from people close to the situation, is that “he’s fine”
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) August 12, 2023
Adams is one player the Raiders offense cannot afford to lose, especially without Josh Jacobs in the fold. The Raiders took a lot of positives out of the workouts the last two days, and on Sunday, they will welcome the 49ers to Allegiant Stadium for their first preseason game of the summer.