Raiders Preseason Opener Shows Defensive Woes and O’Connell’s Connection Struggles

In the Raiders’ home preseason debut, the defense showed growing pains as rookies Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses were repeatedly targeted by the Cardinals, with LB Tommy Eichenberg also slipping on several plays. Special teams also faltered when Kansei Matsuzawa’s kickoff went out of bounds and his 38-yard field goal hit the upright. On offense, QB Aidan O’Connell connected on just 4 of 13 attempts amid miscommunications with Philip Dorsett II, who himself had limited production, spotlighting the need for better rhythm and execution as the team assesses its roster and schemes.