Players warm up before a preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021.
Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021 | 4:59 p.m.
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.
