The Oakland Raiders are one of the most dysfunctional teams in football, lacking all sorts of the usual institutional controls of an NFL team, happily gobbling up any available player with off-the-field issues like Antonio Brown, and generally acting as if they belong on a reality show. The Raiders are a lame duck franchise that will one day move to Las Vegas, and they decided to play this game in Winnipeg, Manitoba (with the NFL’s and Packers’ consent), where a two-thirds full stadium saw the field shortened to 80-yards because the field goal posts left an unsafe hole in the ground. The NFL has had trouble vetting fields in the past, including Pittsburgh and Chicago, where the Steelers and Bears play on substandard surfaces, and on Thursday this created a dangerous situation.
The Raiders decided not to play any starters, and the Packers quickly followed suit as the field was deemed only safe enough for roster fodder. Unfortunately, that caution only partially protected the team as likely contributors Equanimeous St. Brown and Curtis Bolton, along with first round pick Rashan Gary, all suffered significant injuries. Gary appears to be fine, but it was a scary moment as he looked to have suffered a concussion in a best-case scenario. St. Brown was lucky to escape with a high ankle sprain on what looked like an ACL tear in the moment. The extent of Bolton’s injury is still unclear, but it’s an unfortunate setback for a promising young player who figures to see significant playing time this season.
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The third preseason game is generally the only one to feature significant time for the starters in order to get them some reps against live competition while building in enough time for starters to recover for week one. Because of the odd setting and terrible field, that potential opportunity was lost, and it seems very likely that Aaron Rodgers won’t see any preseason time at all. Given the fact that he will be running an entirely new offense this year, it’s a curious decision, but since the success of the franchise rests on his shoulders, it is understandable.
In the game itself, Trevor Davis, who was and probably still is in danger of not making the roster, had a breakout game, showing some ability as a receiver, catching five of six targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Darrius Shepherd continued to impress as well, and if it may come down to Davis and Shepherd for the final spot.
At safety, Raven Greene has had a consistently good preseason, and he exited this game as the highest graded Packer defender according to Pro Football Focus. Green has been a solid, smart player since joining the team last year, and it’s nice to see him round into someone who can be counted on should Adrian Amos or Darnell Savage miss time. Greene has been one of the few sure tacklers on the defense, and that skill is currently in short supply on the team. Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense hasn’t really flashed at this point in the preseason, but there have been enough solid individual performances to imagine how it might gel. Greene has been a big part of that, with a solid, if not overly flashy effort so far.
The Running Game
Matt LaFleur is adamant in his desire to use the running game more in 2019. Given the success that Aaron Jones has had when healthy, it’s not a bad idea, but depth at the position is still lacking. Jamaal Williams hasn’t played much due to injury, and rookie Dexter Williams has taken a step back after an impressive first preseason game. Williams is talented, but he's been bottled up, and sloppy, having drawn the ire of LaFleur after getting kicked out of practice. His pass protection isn’t as far along as you would like, and his struggles have opened the door for Keith Ford, and Tra Carson. Carson lacks the explosive ability of Williams, but he does the little things well, and while Williams may one day be a reasonable copy of Aaron Jones, Carson is a good deal like Jamaal Williams in terms of his soft skills.
Aaron Jones is great, but he has been injury prone, and if he should go down, you may see a no-name backup rise to fame quickly in what could be a high-volume power offense. There is opportunity here for any of the backups to take a huge step forward, and in the final preseason game, it will be a battle worth watching.
