Even if only for preseason, the Las Vegas Raiders are back on the gridiron.
On Thursday, the Raiders get to take all of their lessons from the opening weeks of training camp into practice when the Arizona Cardinals come to Allegiant Stadium.
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, NV
Date: Thursday, August 13
Time: 5:00 pm PST
How To Watch: ESPN
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
The Raiders have dedicated themselves to a complete transformation, and nearly every part of the organization has seen some kind of change. With a new philosophy, coaching staff and key pieces to the roster, the Raiders are hoping to escape the doldrums of a deep rebuild and strive for competition. Nothing like a clean slate and low expectations to mark a reset for an organization that felt like it needed one.
Get the butterflies out
For head coach Klint Kubiak and the rookies on the roster, this is their first opportunity to set into their roles and prove that their strategy works in a game setting.
Players have admitted that it will be an emotional time to live out their NFL dreams, preseason notwithstanding. However, there was also a sense that they needed to get their heads into the game quickly, only taking a brief moment to let it all sink in before focusing entirely on the game. That said, Kubiak made it known that such feelings were perfectly valid heading into such a milestone game.
“This is our jobs as coaches,” said Kubiak on Tuesday.
“You should have those butterfly feelings and, if you don’t, sometimes, to me, it means you’re not ready. If you’re not nervous about it, if you don’t have a little anxiety, it probably doesn’t mean as much to you. I think it’s a good thing to have those feelings.”
Full circle moment
Seven months ago, Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck were dueling one another with the national championship on the line.
That day, Mendoza’s Indiana Hoosiers won the day over Beck’s Miami Hurricanes. However, it’s a new day for both quarterbacks, and Beck made a positive impression for himself in Arizona’s first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers in the Hall of Fame game. While Mendoza will likely only get a few drives to prove his mettle, a successful debut would go a long way towards securing the faith of the Raiders for the future.
Burning Love
With the Cardinals saying that the starters will get some action against the Raiders, that puts them in position to be the first team to see Jeremiyah Love firsthand.
The third overall pick in April’s draft, the former Notre Dame running back is supposed to add a new dimension to Arizona’s offense. It will force the Raiders defense to keep an open mind about what to defend, giving new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard an interesting test to start him out. Leonard has stated before that he wants his defense to make plays on the ball and, if his group keeps Love’s contributions to a minimum and render the Arizona offense one-dimensional, he may get the opportunity to see that come to fruition.