What We Saw: Preseason Week 2

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Raiders @ Rams

Final Score: Raiders 17, Rams 16

Writer: Justin Herrera (@Semtexmex93 on Twitter)

The Las Vegas Raiders visited the Los Angeles Rams for a preseason showdown. After their Thursday scuffle at a joint practice, these two teams are coming in with a lot of heat. This showdown was missing all the stars from each team and showcased the camp battle at the running back position between Jake Funk and Xavier Jones. On the Raiders’ side, we got another look at Nathan Peterman and the battle for a roster spot between Trey Ragas and BJ Emmons. This was a gutsy showing for both teams, as their 2nd and 3rd stringers were in a nail-biter that came down to the very end. The Raiders ended up narrowly coming out on top after stopping a two-point conversion.

Las Vegas Raiders

Quarterback

Nathan Peterman: 16/24, 172, TD, 2 INT | 5 carries, 35 yards

Nathan Peterman was the starter once again for the Raiders. He started off the first drive rocky with a coverage misread that almost led to his first interception of the day. Peterman showed his tenacity on the Raiders’ second drive, scrambling for 7 yards and going helmet first into Rams linebacker Ernest Jones. He would have another 3-yard TD run called back later on in the drive. The drive seemed to set the tone for Peterman, who finished as the team’s leading rusher.

As a thrower, Peterman seemed comfortable behind the Raiders’ starting offensive line, not taking a sack until the 2nd quarter. The time in the pocket helped Peterman get off a nice 16-yard pass to both DJ Turner and Marcell Ateman. The second half is when Peterman turned up, scrambling for 24 yards on one big run that put the Raiders in scoring position, which led to a field goal. Then after being given the ball due to a turnover on downs, Peterman went deep to Keelen Doss only to have the young receiver bobble the pass into the defender for an interception. It was Peterman’s second pick of the day, and neither one was exclusively his fault.

The final scoring drive was Peterman’s best, he scrambled around and found Trey Ragas with a shovel pass that turned into 23 yards. Peterman then finished the drive by finding a wide-open Ateman for a 29 yard TD. It was a great ending for a guy who lives for these preseason games, I don’t know if this solidifies him on the team, but none the less this guy showed a ton of heart.

Running Back

BJ Emmons: 8 carries, 34 yards

Garrett Groshek: 3 carries, 9 yards | 1 target 1 reception, 10 yards

Trey Ragas: 6 carries, 1 yard | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 24 yards

This group was underutilized and BJ Emmons was the lead back throughout the game. Emmons got the majority of his 34 yards on the second drive of the game. He once again showed he could be a good change of pace back in the NFL and deserves a practice squad spot. Emmons showed he’s patient and can push the pile when needed on runs of 6 and 7 yards.

Trey Ragas pushed the pile on the goal line for the Raiders’ first TD of the game.

You can't review that one. 😏@TreyRagas channels @MarcusAllenHOF for the tuddy. #LVvsLAR

FOX5 Vegas | @nflnetwork | Raiders app pic.twitter.com/RLkF0mceQ3

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 22, 2021

Ragas had an up and down game overall, his biggest gain of the night was an eight-yard run. He also was blown up for a three-yard loss right after that play and had a six-yard loss on a previous drive. Ragas shined more on his 23-yard catch than anything else and should still be considered an RB4 option for the Raiders. This was far from the performance we saw a week ago from this backfield, but I think it sets up an interesting final-week battle between Ragas and Emmons to decide who makes the roster.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Marcell Ateman: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 45 yards, TD

Alex Ellis: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 41 yards

DJ Turner: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards

Nick Bowers: 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards

Matt Bushman: 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards

Dillon Stoner: 3 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards

Zay Jones: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

Derek Carrier: 2 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards

https://twitter.com/SithRaider/status/1429491043456536579

Marcell Ateman showed up this week, unlike last week against the Seahawks, and he actually looked good. He caught a nice 16-yard dig early in the game and then finished the game with a 29 yard TD after faking out the opposing corner. He and Doss are another matchup to watch in the final preseason game, as those two have alternated good games.

DJ Turner was another guy who came out of this game looking good, catching his two targets including a drive-saving 16-yard catch. He’s a long shot, but you can’t deny that he’s consistent and that’s something the Raiders need.

Zay Jones stepped on the field for one drive and caught his lone target for five yards. Alex Ellis caught a wide-open pass for about 10 yards that he stretched into 21, he also had a 15-yard catch on an earlier drive. That was it from this receiving corps. Obviously we didn’t get to see Bryan “the next T.O.” Edwards or Henry Ruggs, but hopefully, this means they’ll be healthy and ready to impress in Week 1.

Los Angeles Rams

Quarterback

Bryce Perkins: 26/39, 208 yards, 2 TD, INT | 9 carries, 41 yards

Bryce Perkins is a quarterback who lives on the edge of his seat, as his ability to run the ball helped him avoid multiple sacks. The first two drives were rough for Perkins, having completed two passes for negative three yards while making his first big scramble for 11 yards. Perkins struggled early with his decision-making, missing J.J. Koski on a pass and throwing to TuTu Atwell while he was double covered. Perkins then got a bit of luck when the Rams picked off a tipped ball. This led to Perkins finding his most consistent target, Koski, setting up a 9 yard Kendall Blanton TD.

Perkins got into some trouble in the third quarter when he lobbed a pass to Atwell, who was triple covered, which led to Perkins’ lone interception. After another Rams interception, Perkins went to work connecting with Landen Akers for a 12-yard pass and followed it up with an 18-yard dart to Brycen Hopkins. On the final drive of the game, Perkins drove the Rams downfield and threw a TD to Jacob Harris in the corner of the endzone.

BRYCE PERKINS ON 4TH DOWN! pic.twitter.com/5wqihg5oDb

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 22, 2021

Running Back

Jake Funk: 7 carries, 56 yards

Xavier Jones: 7 carries, 29 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards

Raymond Calais: 3 carries, 5 yards

Jake Funk had a great game rattling off runs of 12, 14, and 19 yards. He looked explosive and was doing great on his runs up the middle. Funk looks like he’s ready to be a factor this year with the run-heavy Rams. Funk’s patience and hard-nosed mentality make him a hard player to bring down.

Xavier Jones looks like he’ll be the receiving back complement to Darrell Henderson. Jones looked good on a 13 yard outside run that ended up on the Raiders’ two-yard line before it was called back on a holding penalty. Jones showed his shiftiness on a 12-yard cutback up the middle, letting the hole develop then bursting through. This is probably one of the best battles going into the final preseason game, as both Funk and Jones are vying to be the backup to Henderson this year.

Jake Funk with a nice burst pic.twitter.com/DVsSAAY1mM

— Wes (@Sleyson80) August 22, 2021

Wide Receiver/Tight End

JJ Koski: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 61 yards

Landen Akers: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 49 yards

TuTu Atwell: 13 targets, 8 receptions, 46 yards

Brycen Hopkins: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards

Kendall Blanton: 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards, TD

Jacob Harris: 3 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards, TD

J.J. Koski had a strong showing today. First, he started off by catching a 19-yard pass to set up the Rams’ first TD. Koski was critical to the final TD, getting a crucial 3rd down catch for 6 yards then later in the drive snagged a nine-yard pass to make it fourth and one. Overall, he was well targeted and called upon in critical down situations.

Landen Akers had a nice 10-yard pass that was all extra effort, then snagged a 16-yard pass the very next play. Akers was a good possession receiver, but besides those big plays, he was ineffective.

TuTu Atwell was the most targeted player in this game, but he never had a catch over 11 yards and was frequently double and triple-teamed. There are also still a lot of questions about his size and durability. One play that stood out was when Atwell came out of his break against Rasoul Douglas, Atwell got tangled up and ended up on the ground. It was hard to watch because we didn’t see too much contact but Atwell seemed to be really hurt. Only time will tell if Atwell will hold up in the NFL.