Las Vegas Raiders Final Preseason Update: New England Patriots Offense
The Las Vegas Raiders hosted the New England Patriots for a couple of joint practice sessions, now it’s time to see if they are able to keep the momentum going into their final preseason game.
At Raider Maven, we’re going deep at the Raiders next final preseason opponent, the Patriots.
Don’t get too comfortable, they’ll play once again during the regular season, week 15 to be exact.
Play Callers
The departure of Josh McDaniels has left Bill Belichick undecided of who will be taking over the play calling duties and in just a matter of short weeks, it has shown its flaws.
We’re heading into the final week of the preseason and it is still unclear what the roles are for top assistants Joe Judge and Matt Patricia.
According to the Patriots' official website, Patricia will work as senior football advisor/offensive line coach while Judge serves as an offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
"Communication with the quarterback, yeah," Belichick said when asked if Patricia was calling plays. "As far as calling the plays, there's a whole 'nother process on that, but yeah."
Rookies
First and foremost, the Patriots have given rookies plenty of reps during the preseason. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe saw the field for 68 percent of New England’s offensive playing time against the Carolina Panthers.
He threw a costly pick-six during last week’s game, and now he’s going up against a ferocious Raiders pass rush that is sure to rattle him in the pocket.
Rookie speedster wide receiver Tyquan Thornton is set to miss notable time with a collarbone injury, which he suffered against the Panthers.
But veteran receivers Tre Nixon and Lil’Jordan Humphrey have stepped in and each saw the field for 47 offensive snaps (68% of all offensive snaps), expect the Raiders to see plenty of them during Friday’s matchup.
Running Game Concerns
If the Patriots needed another setback in their offense, look no further, because they just got another one in the running game.
Running back James White retired earlier in the week, and now has the Patriots searching for his dual-threat third-down replacement.
The Raiders run defense excelled in last week’s preseason game, limiting the Miami Dolphins to a total of 37 rushing yards.
The Patriots running backs have yet to find their stride this preseason, and during joint practice, the Raiders first-team defense constantly stuffed the run.
If the Raiders second and third-team defenses replicate what the first-team did this week, it’s going to be a long night for the Patriots offense who’s starting to feel the pressure at that thin position.
Experienced Depth at Tight End
The good note on offense has to be the Patriots depth at tight end.
Don’t expect to see starting tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith on the field on Friday, while they’ve been limited this week, they’ve both looked good during practice.
So expect the Patriots to give Devin Asiasi, the UCLA product more playing time once again.
Last week, he played 51 of the Patriots 69 total offensive snaps, second most on the team.
Outlook
The Raiders find themselve undefeated during the preseason (3-0) and if they continue to prevail, they should capitalize on a Patriots team that is struggling offensively.
Following this game, the Raiders will enter a grace period and determine who the best players will make the 53-man roster.
All teams will be required to trim their rosters from 80 players, down to 53 by Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. ET.
So there will be plenty to play for this week, as the bottom of the depth chart will make their last minute impressions before roster cuts.
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