The Raiders wrapped up the preseason with a visit from the Patriots Friday night. The defense forced a 3 and out vs the Patriots starters highlighted by a Malcom Koonce sack. The offense came out and quickly marched down the field with a big play from Jesper Horstead down the seam for 30 yards. However the first drive stalled as has been the case this preseason and the Raiders took an early 3-0 lead. After a Luke Masterson interception the Raiders added a Zamir White touchdown. The 10-0 was more impressive because it was the Patriots starters versus the Raiders backups on both sides of the ball. The game moved swiftly after the first quarter with the final score being Raiders 23 Patriots 6. Here is what stood out in my Raiders preseason review game 4 vs Patriots.
Tashawn Bower
Bower continues to be a factor every time he is on the field. He had a couple more sacks to increase his preseason lead and also forced a fumble. The Raiders entered camp looking for the second group of edge rushers. Injuries have hurt the depth and left the team looking for someone to step up. Bower has more than earned his spot. Combined with Malcom Koonce the Raiders suddenly have at least 4 options off the edge. Combined with situational blitzing and scheming the silver and black enter the regular season with strong pass rushing options.
Luke Masterson
After a strong camp and preseason Masterson has put himself firmly in position to earn a roster spot. Friday he took his play to yet another level. On the first drive he combined with Darin Butler to make a run stuff in the backfield to set up a 3rd down which ended in a punt a play later. On the Patriots second drive Masterson dropped into coverage and snatched an int from Mac Jones. After a long return the offense took over and quickly put a touchdown on the board extending the lead to 10-0. That was 2 defensive drives and two huge drive altering plays by Luke. To add to his impressive night he was one of the first ones down on punt coverage and made a solid open field tackle to minimize the return. With an impact on the defensive side and on teams it will be really hard to keep Masterson off the 53 man roster.
Patrick Graham
New Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has had his unit flying around and making plays all preseason. From the few starters who have played all the way down to the 3rd and 4th string the results have been consistent. The team isn’t committing unnecessary penalties and they are forcing turnovers in volume. These are both areas where the Raiders have been historically bad for years. When the season starts on September 11th it will be interesting to see how he schemes and disguises depending on the opponent. It appears the Raiders are also going to be able to stop the run with regularity and that is yet another area that has been missing for far too long. A smart, tough and fundamentally sound defense who creates turnovers is going to be a welcomed change for the silver and black as it’s be years since they have resembled anything close to that.
Daniel Carlson
It’s no secret the Raiders have one of the best kickers in the NFL. Once the Raiders cross the opponents 40 yard line they are within Carlson’s range. With another 50 plus yard field goal the consistency and reliability have once again been on full display. Carlson completed the preseason a perfect 9-9 on field goals. Coming off a historic 2021 campaign an All Pro season is next.
The Raiders finished the preseason with a perfect 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. Highlighted by taking care of the ball and not committing unnecessary penalties. None of this will matter when the season kicks off September 11th in Los Angeles bur it is always nice to just win baby.
Thanks for your time reading my article and for more Raiders talk follow me on Twitter http://@BrianRobert85 . Also check out my previous articles AFC West Preview and my upcoming final roster thoughts and season outlook. This was my first preseason writing about the Raiders and I look forward to continuing the coverage throughout the year. I truly appreciate Gridiron Heroics for giving me a platform to share my thoughts.