Raiders rest key players, lose 19-15 to Rams in 2nd exhibition
LOS ANGELES — Center Rodney Hudson carried a plastic bag of sunflower seeds in his right hand. Tight end Lee Smith and defensive end Bruce Irvin held a small, green cup with seeds inside it. Running back Marshawn Lynch kept his seeds inside the pocket of his black hooded sweatshirt.
Chew and spit. Chew and spit.
The action was super riveting on the Raiders’ sideline Saturday afternoon. On the field, the first half was equally exciting.
Coach Jon Gruden was dumbfounded in April when the NFL scheduled two games against the Los Angeles Rams, one a second exhibition and the other a season opener, 23 days apart. His response was to rest 21 key players, including 15 on offense, for a 19-15 preseason loss that featured a snoozefest start.
Quarterback Derek Carr, in shorts and a T-shirt, never took the field.
Neither did five offensive linemen, three wide receivers, three tight ends, two running backs and one fullback. On defense, three linebackers, two defensive linemen and one cornerback were rested. They watched a group of mostly reserves sputter at the beginning.
In the first half, the Raiders’ offense went 0-for-6 on third down. It totaled 58 yards, allowed three sacks, lost two fumbles, got one first down and scored no points. The Rams led 13-0 at halftime.
“It wasn’t good enough,” said Gruden, who singled out multiple holding penalties and an opening shotgun snap that sailed over quarterback Connor Cook. “It was flat-out embarrassing, honestly.”
For this affair, 69,037 tickets were distributed.
Given how little the Raiders showed, that seemed a sobering statistic when announced inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the third quarter. But fans in attendance displayed earnest engagement.
Raiders supporters formed the vocal majority. This exhibition marked the franchise’s first appearance at the Coliseum since the club relocated from Los Angeles to Oakland after the 1994 season. Raiders fans booed Rams players before the game. They booed the Rams’ cheerleaders when introduced. Had a Dodge Ram been driven onto the field, it probably would have been booed, too.
In the third quarter, the action elevated.
Fans roared when running back Chris Warren dashed for a 3-yard touchdown. They high-fived strangers when linebacker James Cowser intercepted an errant pass in zone coverage during the fourth quarter. The takeaway led to a one-handed, 10-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Griff Whalen.
But the loudest cheers will wait for Sept. 10. The rematch, “Monday Night Football” at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, has Gruden’s attention. He won’t have to restrict audibles at the line of scrimmage. Hand signals will be made from coaches to those who are playing.
The Raiders will produce more starters on the field.
And fewer seeds.
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
