3 takeaways: Starters watch as Raiders finish preseason with tie

The Raiders, as expected, sat their starters and the majority of key backups in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in their preseason finale Friday night at Allegiant Stadium.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 43-yard field goal with 21 seconds left for the tie for the Raiders, who finished the preseason 0-2-1.

Only a handful of players who dressed have firm hands on roster spots. The vast majority are fighting for a limited amount of open spots or hoping to catch the eye of other teams by putting a good performance on film.

Of their rookie class, running back Dylan Laube, offensive tackle DJ Glaze and cornerback MJ Devonshire played. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and tight end Brock Bowers were injured and didn’t dress. Cornerback Decamerion Richardson, in line to play a key reserve role, did not play.

The 49ers played several starters in the first half, setting up an opportunity for the Raiders’ bubble players and younger ones to get quality reps.

Here are three observations from the game:

1. Big night for potential big-play prospect

Tyreik McAllister, fighting for a roster spot at wide receiver, clearly helped his cause with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 35-yard TD reception.

McAllister, who played at the University of Charleston from 2017 to 2021, is an intriguing prospect. He’s too small to hold up at running back at 180 pounds, but could be an option at wide receiver.

His path to a roster spot is on special teams, where he excelled last season in the Canadian Football League by leading the CFL in kick return average as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

McAllister has flashed throughout camp with his athletic ability, and it finally showed up in a game.

“It felt good to go out there and make plays,” McAllister said. “Everyone knew this was going to be a big game for the guys playing, so you wanted to leave your best impression in the last game. You don’t want to put too much pressure on one game, but everyone knows it was a big game for guys trying to make the roster or trying to get on the practice squad.”

He first exploded through a seam en route to the first-half punt return for a touchdown.

Then, in the third quarter, he made a catch in traffic on a throw by Carter Bradley, deftly turned to lose his defender and sprinted to the end zone to put the Raiders ahead 21-17.

“I just made a play, honestly,” McAllister said. “Carter put the ball up there for me, and I just made a play on the ball.”

McAllister also showed ability in coverage, getting ahead of the return unit and drawing an illegal block in the back on a punt that forced the 49ers to start a second-quarter drive at their 5-yard line.

“We’ve been seeing it in practice,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “But today, he took it to another level. Took one to the crib, a hell of a catch and an adjustment there on the reception. And then even just covering kicks. He moved the needle.”

Was it enough to earn a roster spot? Maybe not the 53-man roster, but he has a chance to stick on the practice squad.

2. Mixed bag from young defensive line

In a mild surprise, the Raiders did not dress defensive end Tyree Wilson, who has struggled to find his footing after being drafted seventh overall last year.

Wilson isn’t in danger of being cut, but after his rookie season was derailed by the foot injury he suffered in his last year at Texas Tech, any reps he gets seem useful. That was especially true with the 49ers playing their starters.

Instead, the Raiders rolled with several young players who needed good nights to solidify roster spots or rotational roles.

Among the highlights were first-half sacks from Matthew Butler, Byron Young and Charles Snowden, and Janarius Robinson dropping running back Jordan Mason for a 5-yard loss.

Given the Raiders’ need for dependable pass-rush pressure and impact plays from their backups, it was a positive development.

On the other hand, the entire defensive line had trouble getting off blocks, which led to 77 first-half rushing yards for the 49ers. Run defense has been a constant issue throughout the preseason.

“I don’t think it’s good enough,” Pierce said of the run defense. “That’s not our standard. We don’t want anybody just creasing us down the middle of the field.”

3. Solid night turns sour for Laube

Just when Laube was getting untracked, disaster struck for the rookie from New Hampshire.

Laube opened eyes with his speed and athletic ability early in training camp, but waned a bit in the past few weeks. Given an opportunity to get back on track Friday, he looked good while running for 11 yards with back-to-back carries to pick up a first down.

Two plays later, he caught a pass from Nathan Peterman and raced up the sideline on what looked to be a big play — only to lose the ball on a fumble after taking a big hit.

The Raiders put him on the bench after the fumble, and his only other action in the first half was on special teams.

Laube seemed like a lock to make the roster in Costa Mesa, California. Is that still the case? We’ll know Tuesday when cuts are made.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.