Raiders, McDaniels Impressive In 27-11 Win Against Jaguars
Aug 5, 2022, 8:31 AM | Updated: 8:36 am
CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 04: Austin Walter #32 of the Las Vegas Raiders is tackled by Wyatt Ray #58 and Grant Morgan #55 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of the 2022 Pro Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 04, 2022 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Josh McDaniels era in Las Vegas got off to an impressive start Thursday.
Following a 40-minute rain and lightning delay, fans got their first taste of NFL football with a Raiders win.
At the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, the Raiders defeated the Jaguars 27-11 with a balanced running and passing game, finishing with 321 total net yards. Even though Derek Carr and Davante Adams did not play, quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens went for a combined 16-26, 168 yards, and two touchdowns.
.@Jarrett_Stidham called his own number 🙌
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game | NBC pic.twitter.com/FzbAMjpkN0
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 5, 2022
Coach’s Thoughts
After the game, McDaniels said he thought both backup quarterbacks did well in the Raiders’ win.
“I thought he [Stidham] got off to a decent start. We had a couple times down there where we got stopped in the red zone early which those can come back to haunt you if you don’t put those in. But I thought he made some good decisions, threw the ball away a couple times when it wasn’t there, escaped out of the pocket on the one touchdown run. Generally, he operated the offense well. I thought Nick [Mullins] did the same thing. They each had a little bit of duress that they had to deal with and again, I’m happy that you get to do that in a preseason game because really you get the opportunity to see if they’re going to make a good decision. They didn’t turn it over tonight, which I was happy about that, and they made some good plays.”
Fourth-year running back Josh Jacobs played the first 11 snaps. He finished with 30 yards on five carries and 14 receiving yards. McDaniels decided to play Jacobs and other backs for the real-game situations that can’t be replicated in practice.
“I always think it’s good for backs to carry the ball in preseason. There are a lot of things that happen when you’re tackled and getting hit that you can’t simulate in practice. I think all our guys had the ball tonight, all our guys either caught it or were handed the ball and got tackled. We can’t really simulate or rep that in practice.”
The Jaguars didn’t put points on the scoreboard until the third quarter with a field goal and did not score a touchdown until the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. The Raiders’ defense also held the Jaguars to only 59 total rushing yards.
The Raiders have 10 days off until their next preseason game. On Sunday, Aug. 14, they face off against the Minnesota Vikings.
