3 Ways the Raiders Offense Showed Improvement In Preseason

The Raiders ran the ball four times on the opening drive and didn't have a single negative play. In fact, none of the running backs were hit in the backfield.

Last season the Raiders averaged the lowest yards per carry, and starting running back Ashton Jeanty posted the third worst yards before contact mark in the NFL. The run game was a disaster.

The bar to clear last season's performance is not very high.

The pass protection was also good for Cousins. After allowing the most sacks in the NFL, the Raiders will need to keep Cousins (and Fernando Mendoza) clean. Cousins' first pass was batted down, but after that he had all the time he needed to complete his next five passes.

The Cardinals defense is projected to be one of the worst in the NFL this season. So the opposition matters, but at the very least the Raiders showed they can block someone.

Formation Versatility

Klint Kubiak loves using tight ends. His Seahawks offense used multiple tight ends more than most NFL teams last season. That looks like it will carry over to the Raiders.

Just looking at the first drive with the first-team offense, the Raiders used multiple tight ends on four of 10 plays. That is with Brock Bowers playing the first snap and then checking out for the game.

Las Vegas has a great tight end room with Bowers and Michael Mayer, who caught Cousins' touchdown pass. Those two can give the Raiders an advantage when they share the field together.

Kubiak has a love for fullbacks as well. Connor Heyward played on four of the snaps on the first drive as well, helping to establish the run. The Raiders' first play had just one wide receiver, as Kubiak busted out a two-tight-end, one-fullback formation to block for Jeanty.

Kirk Cousins

The Raiders received horrendous quarterback play from Geno Smith last season. Cousins wasn't great in Atlanta the last two seasons, but he should be an improvement on Smith.

Cousins went 5 of 6 for 50 yards and a touchdown on his lone drive. Every completion was outside the numbers, as the Raiders picked on the Cardinals cornerbacks on the first drive.

While it is just one drive in a preseason game, the Raiders scored seven points or fewer in four games last season, meaning Cousins' one drive was as good as the offensive output in over 20% of last season's games.