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3 Overreactions After Raiders' First Preseason Game

The Las Vegas Raiders played their first preseason game. Let's overreact to it.
Fernando Alfaro-Donis|
Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

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Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders played their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

There was plenty to be excited about in this game, including the first look at Fernando Mendoza on the field and a glimpse of the brand of football Klint Kubiak wants to play with the Silver and Black. It's the preseason, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt, but I think it'd be a great idea to overreact to some of the things that the Raiders showed in their preseason debut.

Most Improved Offense

The starters were only out there for the opening drive, but they looked like a well-oiled machine. After missing his first pass attempt, Kirk Cousins completed his next four, including this dot to Michael Mayer.

The first play Kubiak called as the head coach of the Raiders was a run play, which is emblematic of how he wants to do things. The starting offensive line gave Ashton Jeanty a lot more space to operate, and even if he wasn't overly impressive, the signs of growth are there.

Great Backfield

A running back who did have an impressive preseason game was Mike Washington Jr. This 53-yard gain was an explosive play from a player who's expected to run the gritty three-to-five-yard gains, while Jeanty is the one who provides the speed and burst to make big plays happen.

Kubiak drafted him because he didn't want all the offensive pressure to fall on Jeanty, but I think there's a good chance that, by midseason, this backfield will be somewhat more split than people initially thought. Either way, he's going to take snaps, and it could lead to an extremely potent rushing attack for the Raiders.

Jack Bech Breakout Season

For the entire offseason, I've been criticizing the Raiders for not properly addressing their wide receiver room. They didn't go out there and get a star, and I thought it was the weakest unit in their offense. While that still may be the case, I think Jack Bech showed he's in for a big season in 2026.

He caught Mendoza's first preseason touchdown, but he also made an impressive contested catch on third down with the starters. Kubiak will already favor Bech for his run-blocking, but he can take a leap and become a consistent part of their offense; their wide receiver room may not be as bad as I thought and shows promise.

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Fernando Alfaro-Donis
FERNANDO ALFARO-DONIS

Fernando Alfaro-Donis found his passion for sports playing high school football, which led him to pursue journalism as an English major at UCLA. He also covers the UCLA Bruins and the Los Angeles Rams as an On SI team reporter.