The Las Vegas Raiders will conclude their preseason play on Friday night with a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT.
Here are five keys to the game:
Quarterback No. 3:
The big question is of course answered after Gardner Minshew was named the Raiders’ starting quarterback ahead of Aidan O’Connell. But there is still some mystery at the position. The Raiders need to figure out who the third quarterback will be, and this game could play a big role in that. Undrafted rookie Carter Bradley is expected to start and veteran Nathan Peterman will finish the game.
Secondary depth:
The Raiders need some players to do well in this game, and there are still some spots open. It’s an important game for rookie draft picks cornerback MJ Devonshire and safety Trey Taylor, as well as safety Chris Smith, the 2023 fifth-round pick.
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Receiver depth:
DJ Turner and Kristian Wilkerson will likely be the Raiders’ fourth and fifth receivers. Wilkerson can earn a spot on the roster with a big game. He could compete with players who aren’t currently on the Raiders’ roster. If he performs well against the 49ers, the Raiders may not see the need to look elsewhere after teams make their releases.
Newbies:
This is the last chance for several rookies to make an impression before the initial 53-man roster is set. Dylan Laube is most likely safe, but the Raiders would like to see him make some plays after the preseason has been pretty quiet so far. It’s a big game for rookies like Devonshire, Taylor and several undrafted free agents like center Will Putnam, linebacker Amari Gainer and cornerback Woo Governor.
Coaching staff:
This is also the final warm-up for head coach Antonio Pierce and his coaching staff. It’s a good opportunity to work out their game management issues before things get serious on September 8th at the Los Angeles Chargers.
