The vibe around the Las Vegas Raiders during training camp was positive, and it seems like that carried over into their first preseason game as they dominated the San Francisco 49ers 34-7.
The Raiders played a complete game on both sides of the field, lending some optimism that they’ll be more competitive during the 2023 season than some originally thought. Offensively, all eyes were on rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell who had an impressive debut in the Silver and Black.
O’Connell played three quarters, recording 15 of 18 completions for 141 passing yards and a touchdown. Josh McDaniels admitted that were some things the rookie could have done better but was impressed overall with his first NFL game.
“I thought he generally handled himself well for the first opportunity,” McDaniels said of O’Connell. “He’s gonna learn a lot from some of the things that we might have been able to do a little bit better that would have helped us maybe sustain a few drives, but that’s why he was in there. So, he just a sponge, he soaks it all in, and he’ll take every opportunity to improve.”
While O’Connell has every reason to feel good about his showing, he remained humble about the experience and is aware that he has areas he can clean up.
“I’m not worried about the stats. There’s more things than just the stats, and especially responsibility in the run game and stuff like that that I know I need to improve on. So, I know I have a lot of work to go still.”
It’s good to hear from O’Connell that he’s got things to work on as it displays a mature mindset that should serve him well throughout his NFL career. He won’t be making too many appearances in the regular season assuming Jimmy Garoppolo remains healthy, but the Raiders can probably take a little comfort in knowing that if their starting quarterback goes down, they’ve seemingly got a capable backup on their hands.
Josh McDaniels doesn’t believe Davante Adams injury is serious
Health is a question mark for every NFL team given the nature of the sport, but what organizations don’t want to see is players getting hurt when the season hasn’t started yet. Unfortunately, Las Vegas had to deal with a scare when Davante Adams got hurt on a play during their joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers.
Adams came up hobbling after a play and needed help getting to the sideline, but McDaniels doesn’t believe the injury is serious.
