Tag: Tre Tucker

Raiders Week 1 snap counts vs Chargers: Who stepped up at defensive end?

Who stepped up at defensive end to replace Malcolm Koonce?

With a new coaching staff comes questions about who will see the most playing time at each position. And, of course, it’s also opponent dependent as well.

There are a few interesting observations with regard to how many snaps each player had in the team’s season opener against the Chargers.

First up is how the receiving corps shook out. And that includes the tight ends.

Despite the prevailing thinking being the Brock Bowers would be basically the team’s third receiver, it was Tre Tucker who had more snaps behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.

Zamir White started at running back, but it was Alexander Mattison who had more snaps as he was more effective.

On defense, Adam Butler had more snaps than John Jenkins. Both got the start as the Raiders often lined up with five defensive linemen.

Malcolm Koonce went down with a knee injury this week and was placed on IR. Leaving the Raiders to find a replacement. Tyree Wilson was lost after just six snaps. And it was practice squad call up Charles Snowden who got the start and led the way, even ahead of Janarius Robinson.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Cody Whitehair G 60 100% 3 11%
Dylan Parham G 60 100% 3 11%
Thayer Munford T 60 100% 3 11%
Kolton Miller T 60 100% 3 11%
Gardner Minshew II QB 60 100% 0 0%
Andre James C 60 100% 0 0%
Davante Adams WR 58 97% 0 0%
Jakobi Meyers WR 52 87% 0 0%
Tre Tucker WR 47 78% 7 25%
Brock Bowers TE 41 68% 0 0%
Alexander Mattison RB 36 60% 0 0%
Michael Mayer TE 34 57% 0 0%
Zamir White RB 23 38% 0 0%
DJ Turner WR 5 8% 23 82%
Harrison Bryant TE 4 7% 11 39%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Maxx Crosby DE 57 100% 4 14%
Marcus Epps SS 57 100% 0 0%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 57 100% 0 0%
Nate Hobbs CB 57 100% 0 0%
Robert Spillane LB 57 100% 0 0%
Christian Wilkins DT 54 95% 7 25%
Adam Butler DT 53 93% 0 0%
Jack Jones CB 53 93% 0 0%
Divine Deablo LB 42 74% 0 0%
John Jenkins DT 34 60% 6 21%
Charles Snowden DE 30 53% 21 75%
Jakorian Bennett CB 30 53% 0 0%
Janarius Robinson DE 24 42% 4 14%
Nesta Jade Silvera DT 10 18% 6 21%
Tyree Wilson DE 6 11% 2 7%
Luke Masterson LB 4 7% 25 89%
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 2 4% 23 82%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Kana’i Mauga LB 0 0% 25 89%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 23 82%
Amari Burney LB 0 0% 21 75%
Amari Gainer LB 0 0% 19 68%
Ameer Abdullah RB 0 0% 14 50%
Tyreik McAllister WR 0 0% 8 29%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 8 29%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 8 29%
Sam Webb CB 0 0% 8 29%
Darnay Holmes CB 0 0% 7 25%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 6 21%
Andrus Peat G 0 0% 3 11%
Jordan Meredith G 0 0% 3 11%
Delmar Glaze T 0 0% 3 11%
Jonah Laulu DT 0 0% 1 4%

When it comes to kick and punt returns Raiders have good problem

When it comes to kick and punt returns Raiders have good problem

One position on the Raiders roster that doesn’t get discussed much, but probably should be is return specialist. It has become one of the more deep positions on the team, with several very good options to line up there.

Last season, the Raiders had one return specialist. One. It was DeAndre Carter who is no longer on the team. He returned both kicks and punts.

This year, those duties could go to as many as five different players on the team.

If you look at the depth chart on the Raiders website, they have Ameer Abdullah, DJ Turner, and Dylan Laube listed as kick returners and Tre Tucker and Abdullah as punt returners.

It was Abdullah who was the team’s primary kick returner back in 2022, which explains his spot atop the depth chart. Turner returned a few kicks and punts that season as well. Tucker was originally drafted for his speed and was electric returning punts this preseason. And Laube was drafted this year in part because the team hoped he would be a a good fit for the new kickoff rules. Though he didn’t show much in preseason.

The funny thing is, though, it may be that none of them are the team’s primary return specialist this season. That job could go to former CFLer Tyreik McAllister.

“I remember the first time Tyreik caught a punt return and it wasn’t even a full cover,” Abdullah recalled. “He just went along his track and he was just dat-dat-dat-dat-dat. His feet was just kinda like the Roadrunner. I was like ‘that dude can spin’. And to see it in live action, it just shows that it translates. I think the world of him.”

When Abdullah says it translates, he’s speaking of McCallister’s 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in the team’s preseason finale against the 49ers while averaging 30 yards per kick return in the preseason opener in Minnesota

McAllister put up return records last season with the CFL’s Hamilton Tigercats. The Raiders brought him in for that reason and he was a mainstay with the return specialists throughout the offseason and camp. The skills he put on display in the CFL showed up big time for the Raiders and earned him a place on the Raiders roster.

This does present a bit of a dilemma, though, for head coach Antonio Pierce.

McAllister lit up two of the preseason games on kicks and punts and Tucker showed off his speed with a 43-yard punt return in the second preseason game against the Cowboys. So, who gets the job come the season? That’s a good problem to have. And it sounds like the team is leaning toward McAllister.

“One is cool. Two’s better,” Pierce said of picking between Tucker and McAllister. “I mean, to be honest, McAllister’s role on offense is still to be determined, but we know what he can do. We’ve all seen that, and he did that even as a kickoff returner. . . And we got to be smart, right? Tre Tucker is one of our starting receivers, so McAllister has a role. I don’t know, is it this guy this week? Is it that guy? Is it the hot hand? But I think both guys have done an outstanding job now in the return game. I think we’ve seen that both as punt returners, and McAllister punt return and kickoff return.”

Tucker is impressing the team more and more as a receiver, so it could be smart to keep him focused on that. And with the depth they clearly have at return specialist, along with McAllister’s return talents, they have the luxury of making that decision.

Raiders expecting big things in 2024 from 2nd year WR Tre Tucker

Tre Tucker is expected to take.big leap in year two

The second year leap is real. Whether or not it happens can often be the difference between a successful NFL player and a bust. The Raiders are seeing signs of the former from 2023 third round pick, Tre Tucker.

“I don’t want to set the stage too high for him, but I think he’s already done it. Tre Tucker,” Pierce said of the young wideout making that year two leap. “I think you saw it in the preseason, we saw it in OTAs, in minicamp. He’s just been Steady Eddy. And then he got to the preseason, and he did exactly what we’ve been seeing in practice.”

Speed was what Tucker was known for coming out of Cincinnati. But his hands needed some work. That’s one of the things he set about fixing. And it has clearly been working.

Tucker had his teammates and coaches raving about how much he’d improved over the offseason. A bit part of that was getting Lasik eye surgery. But he had also bulked up and had been working on his game.

Once the preseason arrived, he exploded onto the scene. He lit up both of the games in which he appeared, catching several long passes in each game as well as a couple long punt returns.

“If he can continue that, that’s going to help us big time because obviously he can run by a lot of corners and safeties in this league,” Pierce continued. “Man, when you got a guy that runs a 4.2 and create those explosive plays, that makes those DBs back up a little bit more. You’re going to play him a little differently than you play everybody else.”

Suddenly the Raiders look like they have one of the better wide receiver trios in the league with Tucker alongside Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. Each of whom could help open things up for each other. Either defenses will account for Tucker or risk getting burnt.

Now to hope that Gardner Minshew can make the most of it.

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 2 vs Cowboys

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 2 vs Cowboys

There wasn’t much to cheer about in the Raiders second preseason matchup of 2024. But there were some bright spots here and there. And since these games don’t count, it’s easier to celebrate the small victories.

Ballers

WR Tre Tucker

This game was the Tre Tucker show. He had another long ball in this game, just as he did in the preseason opener. This one went for 48 yards and set up the Raiders’ first score. He might have had one on the first drive of the game had Minshew seen him break open. He would finish the game with three catches for 66 yards.

Tucker also did work in the return game, running a punt back 42 yards to put the Raiders at the Dallas 28 and setting up their second score of the game.

WR DJ Turner

The man who was to be Tucker’s primary competition at slot receiver has the Raiders thinking of ways to get both players on the field.

The Raiders had one touchdown drive in the game. It was their lone third down drive. And it was all Turner. He caught a short dump pass and turned it into 12 yards to put the Raiders in scoring range. Then on fourth and two, he made the catch for a seven-yard gain. A few plays later, on third and five, Turner made an outstanding grab, reaching around the outstretched arm of a defender to pull it in and put the Raiders in first and goal at the eight.

CB Jack Jones

Jones pass breakups ended the Cowboys’ first two drives. He also tied for the team lead with six tackles.

DE Elerson Smith

Smith blew up a run for a loss to end the Cowboys’ first possession of the third quarter. Then on the Cowboys’ final drive, he forced a holding penalty and on the next play got a pressure leading to an incompletion.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

After an encouraging performance last week, the Raiders starting offense bogged down against the Cowboys’ second-team defense in Las Vegas on Saturday. The defense had its own struggles and the home team lost, 27-12 in a lackluster preseason ballgame.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew got the start and missed multiple opportunities to take a commanding lead in his battle for the starting QB job. That left the door open for QB Aidan O’Connell. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Bryant in the Raiders’ first drive of the second half, but just as it appeared he would take charge in the QB competition, he threw a pick-6 to open the fourth quarter.

As for the defense, they allowed 114 rushing yards in the first half, despite playing most of their starters. Like the offense, they faced Cowboys backups.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after the Raiders dropped to 1-1 in the preseason.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

The Raiders didn’t score many points on Saturday, but they found moderate success in the passing game.

Wide receiver Tre Tucker built on his strong showing last week and hauled in three catches for 66 yards, including a 48-yard grab on a throw from Minshew. Tucker also had a nifty 43-yard punt return. The second-year speedster continues to improve and could see a major role with the Las Vegas offense this year.

 

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Wide receiver DJ Turner continued his strong preseason, notching five catches for 31 yards. He was a security blanket for O’Connell as O’Connell led a long drive for Las Vegas to start the second half.

The Raiders are looking for depth at wideout, and with other reserves yet to make a huge impact, Turner appears ready to take on a larger role this year as well. He’s similar in stature to Tucker but is a little more shifty in space, providing some versatility to the back-end of the Raiders WR depth.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

Coach Antonio Pierce said he planned to name his starting quarterback after playing the Cowboys. Minshew played first and had every opportunity to take the job, especially because the Cowboys played their reserve defense.

Minshew started slow but appeared to rebound after his bomb to Tucker. He continued missing his receivers, however, and he made some risky throws that could have been interceptions.

Pierce played Minshew into the second quarter despite planning to switch to O’Connell at that time. Minshew went 3-and-out after remaining in the ball game, and after the Raiders special teams recovered a punt-return fumble, Minshew missed badly on a 4th-and-6 throw.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

O’Connell looked solid after entering the game in the third quarter but failed to capitalize on Tucker’s punt return. In his defense, a questionable penalty on offensive lineman Jordan Meredith stalled the drive.

He led a long scoring drive in the third quarter that ended with a touchdown throw to tight end Harrison Bryant. At the moment, it appeared that O’Connell was about to take his starting job back.

But then he threw a pick-6 interception, giving the Cowboys a 20-12 advantage.

Coach Pierce expected to have answers at quarterback after this game, but he’s likely questioning both signal-callers after this effort.

Loser: OC Luke Getsy

Minshew wasn’t the only one to have an opportunity against Cowboys backups. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had a chance to build on his offense’s strong showing last week but his unit was a dud in this ballgame. He was without star WR Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, but that’s no excuse.

Loser: Reserve defensive lineman

The Raiders’ defensive starters played a lot in the first half. It went fairly well until defensive lineman Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and John Jenkins exited the game late in the second quarter.

As the rest of the Raiders starters remained in the game, Las Vegas’ reserve linemen were the weak link on a 14-play drive that ended with a touchdown toss by Cowboys QB Trey Lance. Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones was beat on the play in one-on-one coverage.

Loser: DL Tyree Wilson

Former top-10 draft pick defensive lineman Tyree Wilson again flew under the radar in this game. He was most noticeable as he lost Lance in space on the edge near the goalline. Though he did assist DE Elerson Smith on a nice tackle on a shovel pass.

As it’s often said: this is just the preseason. But the Raiders need answers at quarterback and time is running out before the regular season. O’Connell looked better than Minshew in this game, but that’s not saying much.

It stands to reason that Pierce will hold off on naming a starter, but he may feel it’s too close to the regular season to leave his team in QB limbo and name a starter anyway.

Either way, this was not the performance the Raiders needed. The only thing left to do is have a good week of practice and try again in Week 3 of the preseason against the 49ers on Friday.

Raiders WR Tre Tucker seeing big results from offseason Lasik eye surgery

Raiders WR Tre Tucker had offseason Lasik eye surgery and it’s paying off already

Speed was what Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker was known for coming out of Cincinnati. It was his hands that he struggled with. And now we understand at least part of the reason why — he wasn’t judging the ball properly.

To correct this, Tucker had offseason Lasik surgery.

“When I looked at the end of my season last year, I was actually far sided, so it was harder seeing things far away,” Tucker said. “It wasn’t crazy but as a receiver, and you don’t have 20/20 vision, it’s very important that you do.”

As a rookie, Tucker’s receiving issues were apparent. He didn’t look like a natural hands catcher. The ball often clapped into his hands, which meant it was more prone to bobbles and drops. The opposite of soft hands, if you will. That’s usually one of those things you just thing a receiver has or they don’t. But in this case, it could have simply been for poor eyesight.

Tucker has seen a significant different in how he sees and judges the ball as it arrives.

“It’s a huge difference,” said Tucker.

“I would just say it’s the depth [perception]. When you’re seeing something far away, you don’t really know how fast it’s coming or where it is and [now I am] able to locate the ball faster. That’s probably what I’ve noticed out of getting it.”

The second year receiver put his newfound tracking skills on display in the Raiders’ preseason opener. First by reaching behind him to haul in a fast ball for a 29-yard gain and then by making probably the best catch I’ve ever seen him make on a 44-yard deep ball.

That catch, he turned away from the ball while it was in the air, turned to look over his other shoulder, finding the ball again and then laying out to get it. No way he could have made that adjustment and that catch with poor depth perception.

“It happened so fast, it’s crazy,” Tucker said of the catch. “I just remember looking over one shoulder and looking over the other and the next thing you know I just came down with the catch. So, that’s one of those where you probably won’t get that in practice, but when it comes in the game, you got to make it.”

He keeps making catches like that and he will earn the right to keep the job as the Raiders third receiver.

Ballers from Raiders preseason Week 1 vs Vikings

The positive standout performances from the Raiders first preseason game.

Welcome to year 17 of Ballers & Busters. The first ever B&B came out in preseason of 2008. So, let’s get it going for 2024, shall we?

There was a lot to like about what we saw from the Raiders first preseason action of 2024. They went on four scoring drives in the first half and held the Vikings to one to take a 20-7 halftime lead.

Things went awry in the second half, but, hey, preseason.

That being said, since the preseason tends to focus a lot on individual performances, let’s get to it.

Keep in mind, there are no Top Ballers or Top Busters for preseason. I pretty much just listed them in order of appearance.

S Tre’von Moehrig

After giving up a 19-yard catch on the second play, Moehrig settled in. He made two run stops on that same drive and had tight coverage for an incompletion on third and two from the four-yard line. The second Vikings drive, Moehrig made what could’ve been a touchdown saving tackle, stopping a run at 16 yards. He finished with a team-leading six tackles, all solo.

CB Jakorian Bennett

With the Vikings in 4th and two from the four, they went for it and Bennett was there to break up the attempt in the end zone to hold the Vikings scoreless on their opening drive and give the Raiders the ball back.

WR Jakobi Meyers

On third and three on the first drive, Meyers got open deep and made a leaping 24-yard grab. The next play he made the catch on a zero route in the left flat, stepped away from a tackler and ran for eight yards. Two plays later, in third and three, Aidan O’Connell looked for him again and he made a 13-yard catch to put the Raiders in Minnesota territory. One play later, they were in field goal range.

CB Jack Jones

The Raiders took a 3-0 lead into the second quarter. In third and eight, the Raiders blitzed, forcing JJ McCarthy to make a quick decision. He thought he had a man open, but Jack Jones undercut the route and picked off the pass, giving the Raiders the ball back. Jones then took his ball and went home (the sideline).

WR Tre Tucker

The offense came in after the turnover, this time with Gardner Minshew at QB. The second play saw Tucker make an adjustment on a pass slightly behind him on a cross, to make the catch for 29 yards. The next drive, he made an even more impressive adjustment. Going deep, he was turned inside, but the pass was headed to his outside shoulder, so he turned away from the pass, relocated it in the air and then laid out to make the catch for 44 yards. The Raiders would score touchdowns on both drives. The second one, Tucker laid a key block for Zamir White to run it in. He added a nice punt return at the end of the half as well.

QB Gardner Minshew

All three Minshew possessions, the Raiders scored. The first two for touchdowns. The first drive featured a 29-yard pass to Tre Tucker and a scramble for seven yards on third and three. The touchdown was on a perfect strike to DJ Turner at the right pylon. The second TD drive he aire out for a 44-yard connection with Tucker and found Cole Fotheringham for 11 yards on third and six. He finished 6/12 for 117 yards and one TD with a passer rating of 112.2.

LB Amari Burney

Burney came to play. The 2023 sixth round pick clearly set out to let everyone know he was still here. His biggest play was late in the third quarter, when he ended a drive by coming up to make a stop at the line for no gain on third and one. That was his third run stuff of the day. The first went for a loss and the other for one yard. His four tackles in the game were tied for second on the team. He even had a QB hit in the game.

P AJ Cole

In the second half, when nothing was working for the Raiders on offense, Cole would come in an remind them that at least he can tilt the field. He had two punts of 60 yards – one that was fair caught at the 14 –, one for 56 yards that went out of bounds at the five, and one that went 43 yards that was fair caught at the 11. Weapon.

Honorable Mention

DE Malcolm Koonce – Had a run stop for no gain and a pressure leading to an incompletion on the first drive.

QB Aidan O’Connell – Went 7/9 for 76 yards on the opening drive, twice converting on third down.

LB Robert Spillane – Put on the pressure that rushed McCarthy into his throw that Jack Jones picked off.

WR DJ Turner – Beat his man and streaked toward the end zone to score the Raiders first touchdown of the day from 20 yards out.

DT TJ Franklin – Blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter.

S Phalen Sanford – Caught the ball off the Franklin blocked field goal and returned it 42 yards to the Minnesota 40-yard-line.

K Daniel Carlson – Lined up for a 56-yard field goal off the blocked field goal and return and nailed it to give the Raiders a 20-7 lead. Carlson hit two other chipshot field goals in the game.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 24-23 preseason defeat vs. Vikings

The Raiders preseason kicked off on Saturday with a loss to the Vikings. Who stood out the most for Las Vegas?

After a successful training camp, the Raiders finally got to hit someone besides their teammates on Saturday during their preseason debut against the Vikings. Surprisingly, the Raiders offense started faster than a Las Vegas defense expected to carry the club in 2024.

Quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew both saw first-half action, and the offense didn’t punt until after halftime. The defense played well for the most part but allowed the Vikings to convert too many big plays.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after our first look at the 2024 Las Vegas Raiders.

Winner: CB Jakorian Bennett

Cornerback Jakorian Bennett took the field as a starter after earning that right in training camp. The Raiders are looking for someone to take charge opposite entrenched cornerback Jack Jones, and Bennett made a big play to save the Raiders’ starting defense on the Vikings’ initial drive.

Minnesota drove to the Las Vegas 4-yard line, even as starters, including defensive end Maxx Crosby, were in the game. On 4th-and-2, Bennett showed impressive ball skills on a pass breakup in the end zone. There’s a lot of preseason left, but Bennett made further strides toward remaining a Raiders starter at cornerback.

Winner: CB Jack Jones

As the Raiders defense dominated in training camp, Jones was perhaps the most impressive player for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Jones showed he’s ready to make plays against quarterbacks besides his own with a skillful interception early in the third quarter.

 

Jones played exceptionally well for Las Vegas last season. But his sample size as a professional is relatively small, and the Raiders defense needs him to perform at a high level this year. So far, so good.

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Though coach Antonio Pierce chose to play his starters in Minnesota, wide receiver Davante Adams was with his family to welcome his baby boy to the world. That left extra opportunity for the Raiders’ wide receiver room.

Wide receiver DJ Turner took advantage, hauling in a 20-yard touchdown from QB Gardner Minshew in the second quarter.

Turner had a strong camp and he backed it up at his first opportunity. The depth chart is far from set at wideout after Adams, WR Jakobi Meyers, and WR Tre Tucker; Turner continued his path toward earning a role for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy this season.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

Though Tucker is slated to be one of Las Vegas’ top weapons this season, the speedster has had issues dropping the football. He needs to prove he can handle a large role, especially with Turner performing well.

His 44-yard grab on a toss from Minshew put his skills on full display and helped quiet any doubts he’s up to the task. It would be nice to see Tucker catch the ball with his hands more than with his body, but he got the job done in preseason Week 1.

Winner: OC Luke Getsy

Getsy was fired last season as the offensive coordinator for the Bears, and his offense struggled during Raiders training camp. For a Las Vegas team trying to turn a corner and make the playoffs, Getsy must show he’s capable of directing this Raiders offense.

With O’Connell at quarterback to start the game, the offense went on a long, impressive field-goal drive after Bennett’s pass breakup in the end zone. For Getsy and everyone involved with the offense, it was likely a breath of fresh air and proof that they’ve made progress with Getsy’s new scheme. The Raiders offense enjoyed success the entire first half and didn’t have to punt until backup Anthony Brown Jr. entered the game.

Winner: Offensive line

The Raiders were without two starters on the offensive line, but their group still blocked well enough for the offense to find much-needed success. Both Thayer Munford Jr. and rookie DJ Glaze played well at offensive tackle. That’s a big boost for a Raiders team that needs at least one of those young players to hold down the right tackle spot in 2024.

Winner: QB Gardner Minshew

Minshew didn’t start, but he entered the game in the second quarter as Pierce planned. He led four drives compared to just one drive for O’Connell, however, and finished with 117 yards on 6-for-12 passing and a touchdown throw. He also scrambled for a first down.

The Raiders quarterback competition is far from over, but Minshew made the most of his opportunity and lopsided drive count compared to O’Connell.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

In a kinder, gentler world, O’Connell would join Minshew on the winner list. He looked great to start the game despite starting his first drive of 2024 on the Raiders’ 4-yard line.

But Minshew had a touchdown throw and multiple splash plays. O’Connell had a chance to throw a touchdown of his own in his only drive of the game, but he was sacked on a 3rd-and-goal play as backup lineman Andrus Peat was beaten on the edge.

The Raiders QB competition is just heating up though. O’Connell appears on my loser list today, but he could very well win the job as Raiders starting QB by preseason’s end.

Loser: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Raiders wide receivers behind Tucker and Turner on the depth chart had a golden opportunity on Saturday with Adams’ absence. None of them took advantage. But WR Kristian Wilkerson got the start, and he likely wants a do-over on his one catch of the day, a WR screen that lost one yard.

Watching live, it appeared that Wilkerson made one move too many rather than cutting upfield and getting available yardage. Making matters worse, the Raiders only needed a few yards to gain a first down.

Loser: S Jaydon Grant

Safety Jaydon Grant missed a tackle on open space on a 48-yard touchdown run by the Vikings in the second quarter. Linebacker Luke Masterson missed his assignment on the play, but Grant was the last line of defense and he missed badly on his tackle attempt.

Loser: CB MJ Devonshire

Rookie cornerback MJ Devonshire had a rough first go as an NFL defensive back. He let a Vikings receiver go right past him for a 45-yard score in the third quarter. In his defense, he didn’t get any help over the top from safety Chris Smith II.

Loser: S Trey Taylor/big play defense

The Raiders allowed another big play later in the third quarter on a blown coverage in the secondary. It appears that S Trey Taylor was the No. 1 culprit on this one, but I’ve handed the entire Raiders defense part of this entry on the loser list for allowing too many big plays and 452 yards overall.

It’s just one game, but this week told us a lot about this season’s Raiders squad. The defense looks strong but has some issues to clean up, and the offense looks much better when Maxx Crosby isn’t terrorizing them. But as we know, the NFL is a week-to-week business. They’ll have to prove themselves again against the Cowboys next weekend in Las Vegas.

WATCH: Raiders WR Tre Tucker with incredible diving grab

WATCH: Raiders WR Tre Tucker with incredible diving grab

We had heard all offseason about the progress Tre Tucker had made this offseason. But we didn’t see a whole lot of it in camp. On the Raiders third drive of their preseason opener in Minnesota, we saw it. And…wow.

With the Raiders at their own 25, up 10-7, Tre Tucker went deep. Gardner Minshew launched it and Tucker went and got it.

As impressive as the full extension for Tucker was his adjustment with the ball in the air. He turned away and took his eyes off the ball, then relocated it in the air, laid out and made the grab 44 yards down the field.

Six plays later, the Raiders were in the end zone again on a Zamir White run up the middle to take a 17-7 lead.

Tucker has two catches in the game for 73 yards to lead the Raiders. Minshew is five of eight for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Raiders training camp Day 7 report: Aidan O’Connell responds

Raiders training camp Day 7 report: Aidan O’Connell responds

Things are really starting to heat of in recent days in Raiders training camp. The first few days, it was the status quo, which is to say the defense dominated and the offense showed little signs of competing with them. The past couple practices we have seen the winds change a little bit.

Wednesday was the first practice where the offense was able to make some noise. Most of it was made by Gardner Minshew.

Minshew had shown he was beginning to run the offense efficiently and had earned equal time with the first team between him and O’Connell. That continued on Friday after a day off. But this time, It was O’Connell to answered the bell and started putting things together for the first time this camp.

O’Connell got the ball first in team sessions and was dealing right away. He completed a deep ball to Jakobi Meyers and followed that up with a pass over the middle to Meyers. Then he found Tre Tucker with a perfect ball on an out to the left sideline. Credit to Tucker as well for making the catch and tapping his toes inbounds. O’Connell finished off the drive with a dart to Brock Bowers at the goal line and he crossed into the end zone.

Later, O’Connell kept it going while working with the second team. He found DJ Turner on a back shoulder pass up the sideline and then Alex Bachman laid out to make a great catch for the touchdown.

It’s great not only to see the offense putting things together against this defense, but it’s also good to see him respond to the day the guy with whom he is competing for a job.

After all, Antonio Pierce said he’s waiting for one of them to step up and say “I’m the guy” and if Minshew continued to put things together and O’Connell didn’t fight back, that could have given Pierce the answer he was looking for.

As it stands now, it looks like there’s still a heated competition. The difference is that it’s not just because both are struggling.