The Raiders did not win a single preseason game.
But hey, they finally got one on the board when it mattered. They beat the Patriots 20-13 in Foxboro.
Could the offense have gelled this fast?
And is the defense still the weak spot?
Geno Smith – exactly what we wanted
In his Raiders debut, Geno Smith gave us exactly what we hoped for.
He threw for 362 yards, the most in a Raiders debut in 25 years, with one touchdown and one interception.
Yeah, he forced a ball into double coverage and got picked. Classic Geno.
But he also spread the ball everywhere, with five different receivers catching passes of over 20 yards.
Last year, that would have been five interceptions and maybe one deep shot. So yeah, this feels like progress.
Is this Brock Bowers sustainable?
Brock Bowers picked up right where he left off. The tight end corralled five catches for 103 yards and the defense could not slow him.
And the scary part? He left in the fourth quarter with a knee issue so it could have been worse for the Pats. He is day-to-day right now.
Still, you can already see the connection with Geno. If both stay healthy, they are going to be a nightmare.
Honestly, that duo might just win us games on their own.
Can’t judge the defense – yet
Patrick Graham’s defense held up pretty well, especially in the second half.
Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce were all over the backfield. Both looked sharp rushing the passer against rookie Drake Maye.
The linebackers also controlled the line of scrimmage better than I expected.
The secondary? A bit shaky at first. They gave up some rhythm to the Patriots.
But they tightened up as the game went on. Isaiah Pola-Mao even snagged a pick in the third that really shifted the momentum.
So… Super Bowl?
Let’s pump the brakes.
The Raiders might not be Super Bowl favourites, not with how stacked the AFC looks.
But this team is scrappy and if Week 1 is any sign, they are going to be tough to beat.
They might just surprise some people. Honestly, they might even surprise themselves.
