3 Interesting Notes From Raiders First Preseason Game

The Las Vegas Raiders lost their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27-14. There are plenty of takeaways from this first taste of preseason action, both good and bad.

Some of the biggest and best things to come from this game were how impressive Fernando Mendoza looked in his debut performance. He was composed, and his accuracy really shone through. I also liked all the plays Klint Kubiak was calling and how improved this offensive unit looked overall for the Silver and Black.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Ultimately, though, the Raiders did lose this game. Some performances were better than others. Here are three Raiders who may not have had the best performance, but can come back stronger later in the preseason.

Jermod McCoy

Jalen Brooks vs Jermod McCoy. pic.twitter.com/VGqYEA3T8u
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) August 14, 2026

Jermod McCoy fell all the way to the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft when many considered him to be a top-ten talent. His injury concerns are to blame, and after one preseason game, there's definitely some rust that needs to be shaken off.

It's been almost two calendar years since McCoy was on the field, and it felt like it. He gave up two touchdowns to two wide receivers who are, at best, backups. He was expected to contribute meaningfully to their secondary alongside their starters, but he looked like a fourth-round cornerback against the Cardinals.

The fact that he's even out there to begin with is already a huge win for the Raiders. Preseason is the best time for him to shake off some of that rust, and if they can work him up to the player he was before he got injured, the gamble they took on a player with his injury history will be worthwhile.

Aidan O'Connell

The Raiders scored 14 points, with those points coming from touchdown passes by Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. After they left the field, it was Aidan O'Connell's time to shine, and he did not deliver. He completed only 4 of the 13 passes he attempted and took a sack for a loss of 10 yards.

O'Connell is clearly the odd one out in this quarterback room, and I thought this was a great opportunity for him to ramp up his trade value. He was throwing to third-stringers, but he was also playing against them. This performance didn't inspire confidence, and his days as a starter are at jeopardy of being over if he doesn't lock in.

Thankfully, he still has time to raise his trade stock against the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers later in the preseason. Those are two teams with better defensive infrastructure than the Cardinals, so a bounce-back against them will likely take away some of that negative reception.

Ashton Jeanty

Now, Ashton Jeanty had a fine performance. He's more on this list because of how impressive Mike Washington Jr. looked. He led all Raiders running backs in total yards against the Cardinals, but he did have the most carries.

Jeanty's job as the starter isn't at risk, but it's obvious now that Washington Jr. is too talented to keep off the field. He will be a great complement to Jeanty in the regular season, and some touchdowns that should've been Jeanty's may go to him as well.

Ashton Jeanty running hard as usual 😤

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Fx5hgkTEdR
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026

Even with Washington Jr. having an impressive performance, Jeanty showed enough in his limited snaps to remain optimistic about his 2026 season. The offensive line was creating space for him to operate, and if they can continue to do that, he'll have plenty of home-run hitters on the ground.

It also works to his benefit that Washington Jr. is already showing flashes of greatness. Opposing teams will have more to game plan for, and the less attention Jeanty gets, the better.

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