Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman (3) looks to pass against Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, in Las Vegas.
Published Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021 | 4:59 p.m.
Updated Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021 | 9:03 p.m.
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It may not have been a star-studded affair but that hardly seemed to matter to the Raiders faithful, as Las Vegas defeated Seattle, 20-7, in the first NFL game at Allegiant Stadium with fans.
A full house packed the stadium for the first preseason game, and though the Raiders elected not to play most of their starters the atmosphere crackled, as fans were loud and engaged throughout, turning a true exhibition game into a three-hour celebration.
Nathan Peterman got the nod at quarterback as starter Derek Carr sat out and backup Marcus Mariota missed the game due to injury. Peterman worked with second-string skill players across the board—none of Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards or Hunter Renfrow suited up—and performed admirably, completing 29-of-39 passes for 246 yards.
Fans were so excited for pro football, the stadium was still about 75% full midway through the fourth quarter when third-team running back B.J. Emmons plunged into the end zone from the 2-yard line to extend the Raiders' lead to 20-7 and seal the victory.
In the regular season, a 13-point lead with seven minutes remaining would not be a guaranteed win for Las Vegas, but the reserves on defense had no trouble shutting down the Seahawks' offensive reserves for most of the night. Quarterback Russell Wilson did not play, and aside from a busted coverage that resulted in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Alex McGough to DeeJay Dallas in the third quarter, Seattle barely moved the ball at all.
Second-year linebacker Javin White led the charge for UNLV, as the former UNLV playmaker got the start at weakside linebacker and showed well, especially defending against the pass. He played the entire game and finished with four solo tackles and one pass breakup.
The Raiders held back most of their top defensive players as well, as projected starters Yannick Ngakoue, Maxx Crosby, Cory Littleton, Casey Hayward and Trayvon Mullen did not play.
Emmons finished with 45 yards and a TD on nine carries, while Trey Ragas racked up 62 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Las Vegas will have Sunday off before returning to practice at their Henderson facility Monday and Tuesday. The team will then head west for joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday and Thursday before the two squads square off in exhibition No. 2 on Saturday.
Raiders lead Seattle in fourth quarter
End third quarter: Raiders 13, Seattle 7
We've now entered the deep-depth portion of the game, as both teams are using this opportunity to evaluate players at the end of their respective rosters.
For the Raiders, that means third-string offensive linemen Jimmy Morrissey and Parker Ehinger and second-stringers Jaryd Jones-Smith and Patrick Omameh are blocking up front for third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman and second-string fullback Garrett Groshek. And there's 15 more minutes of that to come, so if you're not interested in the race for the 53rd spot on the roster, you're probably safe to tune out now.
Raiders lead Seattle, 13-7
2:25 third quarter: Raiders 13, Seahawks 7
The Raiders finally suffered a breakdown on defense, as they allowed Seattle running back DeeJay Dallas to take a screen pass 43 yards for a touchdown to trim Las Vegas' lead to 13-7.
It was the longest play of the night for the Seahawks, who averaged fewer than three yards per play in the first half against a las Vegas unit made up mostly of backups. And it woke up a strong pro-Seattle contingent inside Allegiant Stadium, as Dallas's sprint drew the loudest cheers of the night.
Javin White is still in the game at linebacker and Nevin Lawson is lined up at cornerback, but no other Las Vegas defensive starters are on the field right now as Seattle drives looking to take the lead.
Raiders reserves lead Seahawks at half
Halftime: Raiders 13, Seahawks 0
The defensive effort has been the story for Las Vegas so far. Yes, Russell Wilson isn't playing and so this performance should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Raiders displayed a level of organization and competency in the first half that has been missing in recent years.
It was mostly the reserve crew doing the heavy lifting, as several key veterans got the night off. Second-year linebacker Javin White has looked solid in coverage, cornerback Nate Hobbs recorded a sack and even linebacker Tanner Muse got in on the action by batting down a pass. Seattle averaged just 2.8 yards per play in the half.
For a Raiders fan base that simply wants hope on that side of the ball, the first half provided a glimmer.
After nearly two full quarters of impressive play, Nathan Peterman reminded us that he is Nathan Peterman by throwing an ugly interception to end a promising drive. Peterman was under pressure on the play, and instead of taking a sack on 1st-and-10 he elected to loft a wobbler down the right sideline as he was hit; the ball hung up in the air for an easy interception by Seahawks safety Ryan Neal.
Peterman almost made up for it on the next drive, leading the Raiders on a hurry-up drive that went the length of the field before sputtering inside the 5-yard line. Las Vegas settled for a short field goal with five seconds on the clock to take a 13-0 lead into halftime. Peterson finished the half 22-of-30 for 193 yards, but that interception sticks out as a particularly harmful play.
More starters exiting as Raiders lead Seahawks, 10-0
8:31 second quarter: Raiders 10, Seahawks 0
Right tackle Alex Leatherwood and center Andre James, both of whom are starters on the offensive line, exited the game after a full quarter of work.
For Leatherwood, the rookie who some considered a reach when the Raiders drafted him No. 17 overall, it was a fair debut. He used his massive frame to create some movement up front, but also whiffed on more than one block, including a goal-line run in which he blocked no one and fell into the end zone while the running back was stopped at the line of scrimmage.
Javin White making plays for Raiders
End first quarter: Raiders 7, Seahawks 0
Nathan Peterman continues to look sharp (9-of-12 for 95 yards) and has the Las Vegas offense across midfield on its second possession, but the first-quarter standout was linebacker Javin White.
The former UNLV star got a start tonight and has made the most of his opportunity so far. On Seattle's first drive, White locked up the running back out of the backfield and forced a throwaway on first down, then two plays later on 3rd-and-long he made an open-field tackle on a swing pass to force Seattle to punt.
After spending most of his rookie year on the practice squad, White may be seizing his opportunity now.
Raiders starters sitting out preseason opener
6:22 first quarter: Raiders 7, Seahawks 0
If you've spent the offseason looking forward to seeing the Raiders' high-powered offense in action, you'll have to wait another week.
Nathan Peterman got the start at quarterback, which means we won't be seeing Derek Carr tonight. Somewhat surprisingly, we didn't see the rest of the first-string offense, either. Second-year receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards did not get on the field on the opening series, and neither did running back Josh Jacobs (though Jacobs' absence was expected). With tight end Darren Waller sidelined by an ankle injury, that means the Raiders' entire skill group tonight is made up of reserves.
Peterman did a fine job of leading the Raiders down the field on the opening drive, however, connecting with Zay Jones on a deep completion to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Trey Ragas to put Las Vegas ahead, 7-0.
The Raiders are taking an equally cautious approach with their more important defensive players as well. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was not on the field for the Seahawks' opening drive and neither were starting cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen and Casey Hayward. Rookie safety Trevon Moehrig is starting at free safety, and former UNLV standout Javin White is on the field as part of the base defense in place of veteran Cory Littleton.
Cornerback Nate Hobbs just came on a blitz on 2nd-and-long and caused a fumble by Seattle quarterback Geno Smith (Russell Wilson is not playing). The play is currently under review, but so far so good for this version of the Raiders defense.
Fans at Allegiant Stadium for Raiders' preseason opener vs. Seattle
Raiders fans are still working their way into Allegiant Stadium an hour before kickoff, but the atmosphere is already markedly different from last year, when no spectators were allowed inside the brand-new dome for its inaugural season due to COVID-19 restrictions.
There is a buzz outside the stadium, throughout the concourses and in the stands as Las Vegas prepares to host the Seattle Seahawks in the first preseason game for both teams (6 p.m., Channel 5). The first Seattle players made their way onto the field a moment ago and were booed lustily by the fans already in their seats (about 20 percent), so it's fair to say NFL football has arrived in Las Vegas for real.
As with most preseason openers, the starters will see limited action but there should still be plenty of intriguing storylines to follow. A look at what to watch in the first exhibition:
Quarterbacks limited
Derek Carr may or not play, and even if he does take the field he won’t handle more than a handful of snaps at most. And with backup Marcus Mariota sidelined due to a leg injury, the Las Vegas offense will be helmed by third-stringer Nathan Peterman and emergency signee Case Cookus for most of the night.
The absence of NFL-caliber quarterbacking will make it more difficult to judge the progress of the Raiders’ developing skill players like Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, but the young guns should still get plenty of targets. Tight end Darren Waller is out with an ankle injury, so whoever is under center for Las Vegas will have to look toward Ruggs and Edwards to move the chains. Are they ready for that kind of responsibility?
New look on defensive line
The Raiders’ biggest offseason move was bringing in free-agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to juice the pass rush. He’s the shiny new toy, but he’s probably too valuable to put out there in the first preseason game for more than a series or two—if that.
If Ngakoue stays on the sideline, as expected, it will be up to incumbent linemen Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell and Carl Nassib to show they can generate more pressure than they did last year, when the Raiders ranked 30th in the NFL in sacks (1.3 per game).
The debut kids
He may not be blocking for Derek Carr all night, but rookie right tackle Alex Leatherwood will have a chance to build on a strong training camp in his pro debut. He has looked strong and imposing in practice, so if he can translate some of that to live game action against a real defensive front, it will be a good sign for a team that is rebuilding its offensive line on the fly.
Defensively, Las Vegas is pinning a lot on rookie safety Trevon Moehrig. He has come on strong in camp, showing the coverage skills that made him a second-round pick, and if there’s anything the Raiders defense needs its defensive backs who can cover. Moehrig is listed as the starting free safety on the depth chart, and with the team needing him to get up to speed as fast as possible, expect to see him get a long look tonight.
Also making his debut tonight will be 2020 draft pick Tanner Muse, who missed all of his rookie season due to injury. Muse is listed as the starter at strongside linebacker and his coaches and teammates have raved about his speed and athleticism in practice. Can Muse turn that into an impact play or two against Seattle?
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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