NFL 2018 Preseason Week 4 Raiders Recap
The preseason usually tells us very little, but 2018 told us absolutely nothing. The Raiders barely played their starters the entire preseason. The traditional formula went out the window. Derek Carr played a few snaps in games 1 & 3 and nothing in games 2 & 4. His backup quarterbacks EJ Manuel and Connor Cook both looked terrible. In the final preseason game, the Raiders were at the Seattle Seahawks.
With Carr and Marshawn Lynch sitting, Chris Warren got plenty of chances to be the backup bellcow running back. The Raiders went 3 and out and the Seahawks took over at their own 24. Russell Wilson had the night off. Backup Davis led a 13 play, 6 1/2 minute drive, but it only netted 34 yards. From the Oakland 29, Davis was sacked. From the Oakland 36, Davis went deep to Brown for the touchdown. However, it was nullified by offensive holding to kill the drive.
Oakland took over at their own 11. From the 15, EJ Manuel went to Brown for a 22 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for lowering the head to initiate contact. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 45, Manuel went deep to Hatcher for the touchdown and the 7-0 Raiders lead.
Grayson returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the Seattle 46. Despite Khalil Mack still not playing due to a contract holdout, the Raiders defense held on 2nd and 1 and on 3rd and 1. Pete Carroll decided to go for it. After 2 failed runs, a pass play actually lost one yard. From their own 47, Manuel quickly went to Hatcher for 21 yards. That was enough for Nugent to hit a 51 yard second quarter field goal to make it 10-0 Raiders.
The Seahawks needed only one play to strike back. Austin Davis went to Damore’ea Stringfellow for an 81 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 10-6. The extra point was no good. The Raiders went 3 and out and the Seahawks moved from their own 27 to a 4th and 1 at the Oakland 39. Again Pete Carroll went for it and Davis threw incomplete.
A field position game had the Raiders taking over at the Seattle 45 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 7, Manuel found Hatcher for 8 yards. Manuel went back to Hatcher for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Raiders with 2:15 left in the half. Yet from the Seattle 18, Davis worked the 2 minute drill perfectly. With 39 seconds left in the half, Seattle faced 3rd and 10 at the Oakland 33. Davis went to Swoopes for 16 yards. On the next play defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Mike Davis got in. Former Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski made the extra point. After 18 seasons in the Black Hole, Seabass is now trying to make the Seattle roster. He did not help himself by missing the earlier extra point. The Seahawks trailed 17-13 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 48, third string quarterback McGough went deep to Turner for a 52 yard Seattle touchdown. Yet on further review the score was reversed to an incomplete pass. For the second time in the game a Seattle touchdown was nullified as the Seahawks punted. Both teams then went 3 and out and the Raiders took over on their own 20. The Raiders faced 3rd and 13 at their own 17. Manuel went deep to Ateman for a 43 yard gain. On 3rd and 15 at the Seattle 45, Manuel went deep to Said Blacknail for a 45 yard touchdown. The Raiders led 23-13 after three quarters as Nugent missed the extra point.
In the fourth quarter Connor Cook came in and salted the game away. A 61 yard drive ended when Cook went to Hatcher for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 30-13 Raiders. Seattle would get one more touchdown and a surprise as Seabass missed his second extra point. There were seasons where he would not miss 2 extra points the entire season. He missed 2 in one game. It could have been jitters from playing his old team.
Manuel finished a white hot 18 of 22 for 255 yards for 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. It did not matter as Manuel and Cook were both waived after the game. The Raiders traded for AJ McCarron, so Derek Carr now finally has a capable backup.
Yet the Euphoria of the win and the 3-1 preseason evaporated after the game. In a shocker that will reverberate through the league for years to come, the Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. While the Raiders did get the Bears 1st round draft picks in 2019 and 2020 in addition to other trade swaps, this was still a gut punch to the locker room and the Raider Nation. Jon Gruden has 100 million dollars and a 10 year contract, and he just traded away the best defensive player in the league. Rumors swirled that Owner Mark Davis and General Manager Reggie McKenzie wanted Mack to stay. Time will tell if Gruden is crazy or crazy like a fox. The Raiders begin the regular season on Monday Night Football at the Los Angeles Rams. The 2018 preseason is now in the books with the conclusion of the win over Seattle’s backups. 30-19 Raiders
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