Raiders Dominate Line of Scrimmage in Preseason Win

One of the biggest keys to winning football games is controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

The Las Vegas Raiders did just that in their dominant opening preseason victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders emerged victorious, 34-7, and controlled the game from wire-to- wire.

The Raiders were dominant in the trenches on both offense and defense, giving them the ability to run the ball efficiently and be strong in pass protection to allow their quarterback time to throw. They also got off their blocks quickly to get into the backfield and disrupt the ball carriers and quarterbacks.

Breaking down the offensive line’s performance on Sunday, it was evident from the first drive that the Raiders’ unit up front was in control of the line of scrimmage. While they ran for only 3.4 yards per carry, the running game was working well and seven different ball carriers combined to run for 120 yards.

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was the star of the game, completing 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. While O’Connell was impressive, the amount of time he had to operate in the pocket was equally impressive.

O’Connell was not pressured much at all, and had ample time to stand in the pocket and make decisions. The Raiders’ offensive line knew they needed to improve as a pass blocking team in 2023, and Sunday’s win was a step in the right direction.

Defensively, the Raiders’ interior linemen and edge rushers seemed to be playing with a different energy. They were exploding off blocks and flying to the football seemingly every snap. It was a continuation of their joint practices with the 49ers from the previous week, as the defense was stellar then, too.

The Raiders had four sacks of 49ers’ starter Trey Lance, two of them coming on the opening drive. They also had two fourth down stops, an interception and a fumble recovery.

As the Raiders look to get back to the postseason in 2023, controlling the line of scrimmage will be of the utmost importance. Sunday’s win was an encouraging sign that they will be able to do that in the regular season.

The Silver and Black return to preseason action when they play the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT.

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