The Las Vegas Raiders wildly improved this offseason under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. However, they still have plenty of ground to make up in an AFC West division that boasted three 10-win teams in 2024, all of which made the NFL playoffs.
Fans were concerned about the lackluster performance that the team put together in Thursday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, and rightfully so. There were several problems that persisted throughout the roster, but Carroll seems to have a good grip on them.
Las Vegas has two more opportunities to show its improvement before the real games begin in early September. This week will provide a unique measuring stick for the Raiders as they take on the San Francisco 49ers in joint practices and a preseason contest.
Raiders must bounce back against 49ers in joint practices
Last week, the Denver Broncos traveled to San Francisco and took on the 49ers in joint practices before playing them on Saturday. The 49ers reporters indicated that the practices were relatively even, whereas the Broncos reporters insisted that their team dominated.
During Saturday's game, however, the Broncos' starters had difficulty against the 49ers' backups. Mac Jones led an easy touchdown drive to begin the game, and Denver's starting offense struggled to move the ball, which culminated in a Bo Nix intentional grounding call in the end zone for a safety.
If the Raiders can perform better than the Broncos during joint practices and the exhibition game, then it should give Raider Nation a vote of confidence about how the team stacks up. Plus, if the 49ers play their starters in the game, it will give Las Vegas an even better indication.
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Geno Smith looked fine, but the offense looked a bit flat overall coming out of the gate last Thursday in Seattle. With hopefully a full quarter to play this Saturday against San Francisco, they can establish a rhythm and show the fan base and league what they are capable of.
Defensively, the Raiders need to demonstrate that they can improve on their faults, like missing tackles, failing to set the edge and taking poor angles at ball carriers. This will especially be put to the test if the team faces Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
The Raiders must continue to progress throughout the preseason and focus on their own strengths and weaknesses, while the game results do not matter. For Raider Nation, however, this week's performance should be a good indicator of where the team stacks up in the AFC West.