Game overview:
This game, for me, was the beginning of the end of the Antonio Pierce era.
I suspected this head coaching hire was gonna be an issue...but I held out hope that maybe the players would carry on from the 2023 season/continue with their enthusiasm for playing for Pierce/not having to play for Josh McDaniels...but that ‘sugar high’ seems to have run out. The looming disaster that is the Antonio Pierce era is on the way/hitting its (downward) stride now.
I just watched the Las Vegas Raiders play most of their starters beyond the 1st-half and rotated the two QB starter hopefuls for 3 quarters, as their opponent had no real starters on either side of the ball to be found playing in this game -- and with that uber-favorable setup, the Raiders got their asses kicked by Dallas’s 3rd-string QB and a bunch of fringe roster players. It was sad. No...it was pathetic.
Do credit the Cowboys...this game was certainly a showcase for their depth of talent, but it was more so an incredibly sorry display of professional football by the Raiders.
This game was a starter’s pistol to several things coming to Las Vegas...
...last place in the AFC West in the 2024 season (and beyond) and think about the coaching gap between Reid-Harbaugh-Payton vs. virtually hired-off-the-streets Antonio Pierce.
...national exposure to possibly one of or thee single worst coaching staff and management in the NFL, hired mostly by Pierce. O-C Luke Getsy is a curse to NFL offenses. And then I saw Marvin Lewis with his smiling mug on the sidelines as a hanger on as the assistant coach. This staff is rife with nepotism and offspring of Pierce’s friends. Pierce’s son is an offensive assistant...Marvin Lewis’s son is a linebacker’s coach. Norv Turner’s son is on staff. John Gruden’s son is a strength and conditioning coach. No wonder Kliff Kingsbury bailed on this circus.
The failed Herm Edwards Arizona State group has somehow invaded the Raiders management team.
Also note...remember how much of a joke the Chargers have been in recent years? The Raiders GM is the recently fired midseason 2023, former LAC GM Tom Telesco.
...the countdown to Davante Adams demanding to be traded starts now...and it will likely occur before the trade deadline.
The Raiders used their starters a lot last week and were choppy against a bad Vikings team (a bad sign for the Vikings 2024 too), but in this game they were terrible...given the context of the Raiders playing all out/trying hard and yet couldn’t outplay the Dallas backup offense or defense. Yes, Davante Adams playing would help...but is not going to transform the offense/team, especially when they face 1st-team defenses. The bad showings are happening because...the Raiders are a bad organization/poorly run team.
The Raiders are probably a Davante Adams trade away (to the Jets) from being the Carolina Panthers West, as a top-to-bottom worst in the league level organization/team.
And as for Dallas...I’m backing off the ‘Dallas is finishing last’ train (in the NFC East). Watching this game...and the depth of their defensive talent and the unique weapon that Brandon Aubrey is...and watching Daniel Jones work his preseason debut this week...now, I’m wondering if Dallas may be the best of the (8-9)/(9-8) teams that will win that division this year. Dallas will either finish first...or last...or 2nd or 3rd in the NFC East. One of those.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- Here’s what I was thinking about the QB situation after watching this game live Saturday night...
Surely, Aidan O’Connell (14-20 for 96 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) has this thing locked up for sure. He was clearly the better QB Week 1...not even debatable. And in this game, AOC wasn’t great...or hardly ‘good’...but Gardner Minshew (10-21 for 95 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) was so bad in this game that surely Antonio Pierce has no choice but to start O’Connell.
Then, come today, as I’m putting this report together...Breaking News...Antonio Pierce names Gardner Minshew the starting QB. I can’t even fathom how this is possible...if it’s based on the player who played the best in the preseason games or in the 2023 season, on tape, if you looked at their work (Minshew with Indy). It can’t be Minshew...but it is.
I think Minshew’s personality got him over mild mannered Aidan O’Connell.
I will make you one guarantee...no way Minshew starts all 17 games this season (if AOC is healthy). Minshew-mania may not go past Week 2-3...or halftime of Week 1 this season.
The Raiders simply could not effectively move the ball on the Dallas backup defense in this game. Minshew or AOC would start to lead a drive but then it would eventually stall...stall with Minshew, especially, throwing near picks all night in crucial situations. AOC was rolling best of the two of them, but then he threw a bad pick six trying to force something late game...and that probably did AOC in for this competition...if it was a competition, really.
This is going to be a bad season for LV...with probably a game or two where Minshew or AOC is rolling and they surprise an opponent for a few wins this year. I took another small bite of the Raiders under 6.5 wins at plus odds on DraftKings after this game study.
-- Raiders RB report...
Because the Raiders were running as many of their ‘1s’ as they wanted, Zamir White (4-23-0, 0-0-0/1) kept popping up in-and-out of the game for some reason. He was sighted in the game in the 2nd-half as well for a moment or two+. So odd. But he wasn’t getting a ton of carries, because I think they were trying to protect him at the same time as playing him some/playing the 1s. It was weird – the Raiders ran the ball 17 times but threw it 54 times, and that’s NOT the way Antonio Pierce wants to play, but I’m guessing they wanted to crown a QB in this race, so they let the guys throw the ball all they could.
White looked fine. Had one sweet, bully 17-yard run and not much aside from that. He is their main-main-main carry guy...because Alexander Mattison (5-15-0, 1-6-0/2) is awful and Dylan Laube (3-8-0, 0-0-0/2) doesn’t seem to be a key piece yet for this offense...which makes sense because Laube has a lot to offer, so it’s logical that this staff wouldn’t use him.
Zamir = huge workload + bad offense = hopeful RB1, no worse than an RB2.
-- Raiders WR report...
The one Raiders WR who is killing it this preseason, in the same way he killed it last preseason and in-season, in spurts, when they got him the ball, is Tre Tucker (3-66-0/6). He is noticeable in almost every game he has ever played in the past two seasons. He’s set to be the starting slot WR for the Raiders...and he may not be an obvious/hopeful WR3 for redraft...but he is a sneaky play for Best Ball with his big play ability. I swear that guy makes one big play per game...but he only gets the ball like 1-2 times a game. Should be more opportunity this season.
I’m bringing down Davante Adams’s and Jakobi Meyers’s (0-0-0/4) projections on the Minshew starting news and the O-C Luke Getsy realization settling in. Jakobi might have life in a few months if/when Davante is traded...Tre Tucker as well.
-- Trey Lance (15-23 for 151 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 7-34-1) did not pitch a masterpiece here but he was effective in the way he can be effective...controlled, safe passing game with the real threat of running the ball to keep the defense back from pressuring too much.
Trey Lance is not FF-dead yet. He’d be the best QB on the Las Vegas Raiders roster today, arguably. Not the prettiest, but the most effective in a bad offense like the Raiders will run.
...and Antonio Pierce has explicitly stated that he wants a mobile QB...I wonder if he will make the call? Lance for AOC straight up...and then Belichick comes in to take over the Cowboys and has his ‘next Brady’ (AOC) hope in place? Dallas could try to take advantage of a gullible Antonio Pierce in the heat of the moment/in his frustration?
-- My FAVORITE thing from this game – Deuce Vaughn (5-34-0) is still alive...and he’s the most talented runner on the team! I thought he was all but done, but he debuted for 2024 in this game and instantly came in and stole the show with his Barry Sanders-lite ways.
...and it/he was so good, that Dallas quickly pulled him so Royce Freeman (7-32-0) and Snoop Conner (5-15-0, 0-0-0/2) could get key touches here *insert eyeroll here*.
Side note: Royce Freeman is flaming out for FF. Stephen Jones is a liar or doesn’t know what is going on with his own team (for saying Freeman was the #2 RB a few weeks go)...it’s not like he’s gonna get fired...
Deuce Vaughn better make this roster as a #3 who could be a co-#1. I don’t know what Dallas will do, but I know this – Deuce is not dead, and he resides on a team with the worst RB depth chart in the league. Hope is still alive.
-- My most MAJOR note from this game – you gotta redraft Brandon Aubrey (2/2 FGs, 3 XPs) in EVERY draft. I’m not kidding! Don’t fade this one kicker, unless someone else beats you to the early punch.
Every week, going back to last season, it seems Aubrey is lining up for 60+ yard FGs and making them like they’re extra points. He hit a 66-yarder in this game...and you might think the key to that is that he made a 60+ yard FG which might be sweet tiered scoring for distance kicks in your league, and you would be correct...but the real key is – Mike McCarthy is letting Aubrey kick 60+ yarders at will. He’s going to let him kick a 70+ yarder this season, I will bet you.
Mike McCarthy is the most entertained by his kicker than any coach in the league, with Jim Harbaugh behind him...but by a distance...then it’s everyone else who loathes their kickers. I’m watching all kinds of ‘name’ kickers butchering kicks this preseason – but Aubrey IS MONEY. Don’t take it for granted.
Trade for him in Dynasty if you have to.
If you show me your team on an email or on the video chat, and Aubrey is not your kicker...I will admonish you. Where I’ve missed him, I’m admonishing myself...so I’m not giving out what I’m not taking.
-- Dallas rookie WR Ryan Flournoy (4-23-1/6) took a step forward in the competition to be the #4 WR for the Cowboys this season. #3 appears to be Jalen Tolbert, which means Flournoy could be the #3 by about Weeks 2-5. I’m not sure it will be FF-worth that much in 2024, BUT it will be something.
-- IDP notes...
I raised up the Dallas DST projections after this showing because their backup group led by all their young talent (thank you, Will McClay) is impressive – say what you want about Dallas and their RBs and Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy shortcomings...but they have the best defense top-to-bottom in the NFC East, and that keeps them in the race. The Eagles, subsequently, may have the worst defense in the NFC East/in the entire NFL.
Let’s talk about some of the Dallas emerging IDP talents...
The Cowboys acquired CB Andrew Booth (8 tackles) from the Vikings, for little/nothing last week...and I am a fan of Booth. His major problem has been – he’s been hurt too much. He looked like he knew he better get it together in this game, because he was all over...even the big play he gave up, it was good coverage that he just missed knocking the ball away...I don’t know how he didn’t.
If Booth turns it around...what a deal for Dallas, a legit corner they got from the Vikings GM who has a very checkered record (according to me) on personnel.
Dallas Rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland (1 tackle) is legit. What a nice EDGE/DE. He was blowing his blocker into the QB on every pass attempt...and he plays the run too. What a great job of scouting by Will McClay, who just knows defensive talent better than I do. The only one in the league I would say who does, if I may be so bold.
Rookie LB Marist Liufau (3 tackles)...I still don’t fully get it, BUT I did see some ‘it’ from him in this game. He has very good closing speed/acceleration. He’s just flying around, but never where the ball or ballcarrier is it seems. If he matches his tools to better tracking...he’s legit.
UDFA rookie SAF, one of my hidden draft gems of 2024, Emany Johnson (2 tackles) looked pretty solid in this game. He has the speed and instincts and size to be a starting safety in the league someday, but Dallas is so loaded with young defensive talent that it may be a while.
One IDP note from the Raiders... I’m not sure any team should throw on the side CB Jack Jones (6 tackles, 2 PDs) is on anymore. That guy is wicked in coverage so far in his two games this preseason. It’s not a talent issue with him...it’s a 2-cent brain off the field (and on it sometimes).
