3 observations from the Raiders’ loss in their preseason finale
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Raiders wrapped up their preseason Saturday with a 20-10 loss to the Cardinals.
The Raiders’ starters made a brief appearance in the first quarter, with the first-team offense driving for a touchdown on its only drive and the starting defense forcing a three-and-out in its only action.
The Cardinals played mostly backups the entire game.
Here are three observations:
1. Geno Smith-Dont’e Thornton hookup
The Raiders have been aggressive in trying to get Smith and Thornton on the same page, especially on shots downfield. Between Smith’s accuracy and Thornton’s size and speed, the Raiders believe they have the potential for an explosive combination.
The pairing has worked for the most part in training camp, with Smith and Thornton teaming up on a handful of long or impact throws. It just didn’t carry over into games, when three attempts fell incomplete against the Seahawks and 49ers.
That changed Saturday, when Smith and Thornton hooked up on a 17-yard touchdown on the Raiders’ opening drive. Smith delivered a perfect back shoulder throw, and Thornton did an excellent job using his height advantage over cornerback Denzel Burke by turning his body just at the right time. He then remained focused to not only catch the ball but also get his feet down inbounds in the end zone.
“I was really fired for Dont’e,” coach Pete Carroll said. “The catch that he makes, the beautiful throw, beautiful catch, great body control, taps his way in for the touchdown. That was a good play for him to put in his back pocket.”
It was Smith’s final throw of the preseason, as he was immediately replaced by backup Aidan O’Connell.
Thornton finished with two catches for 26 yards.
“It felt great; it was amazing,” Thornton said of the touchdown grab. “That was an amazing feeling, because of course it being my childhood dream to be an NFL player, and my first touchdown.”
2. Tyree Wilson plays well again
Aside from a missed tackle that led to Michael Carter’s 38-yard run, Wilson, the Raiders’ third-year defensive end, continued his strong camp and preseason. He flashed in the run game and as a pass rusher while lining up inside and on the interior.
The missed tackle was a matter of making a solid play to crash down on Carter at the line of scrimmage but failing to wrap up, allowing Carter to squirm free for the long gain.
Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, also hustled from his right defensive end position to chase quarterback Clayton Tune to the far sideline, forcing Tune to throw an errant pass on third down.
Wilson’s solid night coincided with a strong overall game for the first-team defensive line, with Adam Butler batting down a pass at the line of scrimmage, Maxx Crosby throwing Cardinals running back Emari Demercado for a 7-yard loss, and Malcolm Koonce getting his first sack of the preseason.
Koonce, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, said the sack was good for his confidence coming off the injury.
“You definitely have to get your footing back, especially after suffering an ACL injury. It’s one of the toughest injuries in football,” Koonce said. “It definitely takes some time to get your feet back under you, just to have the confidence and trust again and just realize you’re OK.”
3. O’Connell struggles again
O’Connell was loose with the football again. His first-quarter fumble was his fourth turnover in three games, a major red flag for a team that has put a priority on protecting the ball.
O’Connell left the game in the second quarter with a wrist injury and didn’t return. After the game, the Raiders announced he suffered a fractured wrist and could miss six or more weeks.
The fumble was a continuation of his bad decision-making in the preseason.
The first-down play started poorly when the Cardinals’ defense got immediate pressure, forcing O’Connell to seek breathing room to his left. Mobility never has been a strong point for O’Connell, and he was quickly corralled by Jordan Burch and Xavier Thomas.
Rather than just cutting his losses by taking the sack, O’Connell tried to throw the ball as Burch and Thomas converged on him. Burch ended up knocking the ball free and falling on it for the recovery at the Raiders’ 19-yard line.
The Cardinals capitalized on Tune’s 10-yard touchdown throw to Simi Fehoko to tie the score 7-7.
It was the second straight game that O’Connell’s bad decision-making cost the Raiders points. Last week against the 49ers, he recklessly threw into tight coverage for a red zone interception, denying the Raiders at least a field goal.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
