The Las Vegas Raiders, 1-0, will play their second preseason game and their first at home, Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT. Let’s look at some key things to watch for:
The offensive line:
This has been and will be the focal point of the preseason for the Raiders. They have both guard spots and one tackle job open and, thus, Las Vegas has a lot to figure out. The Week 1 preseason performance offered a mixed bag of results. The offensive line was strong in run blocking and shaky in pass protection, allowing five sacks. Tackle Brandon Parker was awful while Alex Leatherwood had his moments of both good and poor play. Rookie Dylan Parham was good at center and guard. The line will likely play better overall competition this week, so improved play is a must.
The running backs:
The Raiders ran well against the Jaguars last week. They had 159 yards on 33 carries. many of the rush plays came pretty easily as Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah and Austin Walter all ran well. White is a player to be excited about. The fourth-round draft pick from Georgia had 52 yards on 11 carries and he ran with big-time authority. He has a chance to be a factor as a rookie. So, seeing him perform well against Minnesota would be another step toward him getting on the field early in the season. Of course, much was made about Jacobs starting in the first preseason game. so, his role in this game and the rest of the preseason will likely be closely scrutinized.
More of the same:
Look, the preseason is what it is. Rarely does preseason play give a true reading of what is to come in the regular season, for any team. But against Jacksonville, the Raiders were organized and well coached. It was an extremely crisp performance for a first preseason game. They committed just six penalties and didn’t commit any turnovers. The coaching staff would love to see another well-played, clean game against the Vikings.
Cornerback play:
Some things stood out about the cornerback play last week. Nate Hobbs played some outside and free-agent additions Darius Phillips played a lot in the slot. This group may get more chances to make plays against Minnesota than Jacksonville and I’m interested in seeing the playing rotation, especially with some cornerbacks out with injuries. There will be opportunities for some players to impress.
Wide receiver rotation:
Perhaps Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow will play some in this game after sitting out the Jacksonville game. But still the focus will likely be on the secondary receiving options as Keelan Cole, Demarcus Robinson, Mack Hollins, Tyron Johnson and DJ Turner. The battle for the last receiver spots on the 53-man roster will be fun to watch in the coming weeks.
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