The Raiders played a game under awful field conditions and started off slow. They finished strong with an excellent second half to beat the Packers 22-21 in Winnipeg.
The Raiders sat mostly all of their starters and left 24 players back in Oakland. The game felt like the fourth preseason game allowing a ton of players on the bubble the time to shine.
Let’s take a look at this week’s winners and losers from Week 3 versus the Green Bay Packers.
Winner: Dt Anthony Rush
For the second time this preseason, Anthony Rush makes the winners section. The undrafted free agent continues to impress and dominate at the 1-technique position.
Rush added another three tackles to his resume and continues to control his one-gap responsibilities. He consistently is winning and creating push into the backfield even when he doesn’t make the tackle. It is going to be rough for Jon Gruden to find a way to let go of Rush.
He has arguably been the Raiders’ most impressive player this preseason and looks ready to play pro football. Expect Rush to sneak in a couple of snaps Week 1 against the Broncos.
WINNER: WR KEELAN DOSS
Doss is an excellent story, being an Alameda native and playing for his hometown Raiders. He continues to make the most of this opportunity and has flourished three games.
Doss added another four catches for 52 yards with a highlight-reel reception on late in the fourth.
He has displayed good route running throughout the preseason, which has helped him earn one of the highest grades on Pro Football Focus. The Raiders should keep six receivers on the roster, and Doss just needs one more excellent performance to hold onto that position.
WINNER: CB KEIEASN NIXON
Nixon is an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina. Coming into the game, he was the Raiders’ fifth-highest graded player on defense, according to Pro Football Focus, and he displayed why Thursday night against the Packers.
Nixon was excellent in coverage all game, almost coming up with an interception on the first drive. He displayed great technique, always helping him stay in position to make a play on the ball.
Nixon is competent in the run game, as well, with the ability to come up and the make tackle. The former Gamecock should earn the fourth cornerback spot on this team with his steady play this preseason.
LOSER: CB NICK NELSON
While I highlighted the play of Nixon, his competition, Nelson, continues to struggle. Nelson had another disappointing game and does not look like a player who will be on this roster in 2019.
Nelson allowed receptions all over the field Thursday night. He could not hang with Packers wideout Jake Kumerow, and Green Bay targeted this matchup heavily in the second quarter.
Nelson gave a touchdown on a double-move where Kumerow almost had 2 yards of separation. The former fourth-round pick is in trouble and needs a big game next week to keep his roster spot.
LOSER: QB Mike Glennon
Glennon was coming off a good performance against the Arizona Cardinals where the backup job became his to lose. Well, his performance started the losing process as he struggled to move the ball against the Packers.
Glennon finished the night completing 4 of 9 passes for only 38 yards. He was jittery in the pocket and struggled to deliver the ball accurately. The main issue was him being outplayed by Nathan Petermen.
Petermen led three scoring drives to help win the game late in the fourth quarter. Could the Raiders keep three quarterbacks? That is a possibility, but Glennon needs a big game next Thursday to secure the backup spot.
LOSER: THE NFL
The NFL is the real loser of this matchup between the Raiders and Packers. They were not prepared for the field conditions in Canada, which led to an awkward game where Canadian fans didn’t get to see NFL stars.
There was a hole in the end zone because of the way CFL football fields are designed. The goalpost is in the middle of the end zone and left a dent when being moved to NFL standards.
With these field conditions, both teams sat every possible starter, leaving fans with what was a fourth preseason game. Also, this was an 80-yard field with the end zone starting at the 10-yard line. The NFL has issues being prepared for host cities with Mexico City last season as an example. The NFL should have been ready for this situation.
