The Raiders didn’t need long to show that their offensive line has a different feel this summer.
With Tyler Linderbaum anchoring the middle and Rick Dennison overseeing the group, Las Vegas entered the 2026 NFL season with a line that was expected to be better. The first preseason game suggested that expectation wasn’t just camp talk. The improvement was visible in the run game, in pass protection, and in the way the group held together across multiple units.
Kirk Cousins had plenty of room to work with the first-team offense, and the Raiders were able to move the ball on the opening drive with a balanced look that kept the defense honest. The run and pass game carried a similar rhythm, and that mattered. Las Vegas was able to go straight up the middle behind Spencer Burford and Linderbaum, while also finding success around the left edge behind a healthy Kolton Miller.
The numbers backed up what the eye test showed. On six dropbacks, the first group allowed only one pressure.
Across the top two units, the Raiders ran nine times for 79 yards, a healthy 8.8 yards per carry. Through more than 30 dropbacks, the offense gave up just seven pressures, a rate that would be below average in the NFL.
For a team that was dealing with obvious issues at this point last year, that kind of start stands out.
The second unit did its part too. Fernando Mendoza was sacked after Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jordan Meredith missed on a handoff against a defensive stunt, but otherwise the protection held up. Charles Grant and Atonio Mafi also helped spring Mike Washington Jr. on his 53-yard run with a strong series of blocks.
It wasn’t just the linemen doing the dirty work. Jack Bech, Ian Thomas, Michael Mayer and Connor Heyward all chipped in as blockers, and Roman Hemby and Mike Washington Jr. looked solid in pass protection as well. That kind of buy-in only helps the line function more smoothly.
No one is going to crown an offensive line after a few preseason drives, especially when so much of the work came from backups. But the Raiders’ starters looked better, the depth looked better, and the whole operation looked more stable than it did a year ago. For one preseason game, that’s enough to call it what it was: a tangible step forward.
In Other News...
Khalil Mack Just Added Painful Context To A Trade Raiders Fans Hate
Khalil Macks departure still hangs over the Raiders like one of the franchises biggest modern what-ifs, and his latest comments only sharpen the pain for anyone who lived through the trade. The Raiders shipped Mack and a second-round pick to the Bears for two first-round selections, then turned those assets into Josh Jacobs, Damon Arnette and Bryan Edwards, a move that was supposed to reset the roster while giving Jon Grudens team more long-term control over the draft.
Instead, the deal has aged unevenly, even with Jacobs becoming a rushing champion. Arnette and Edwards never made the kind of impact the Raiders needed, and the broader cost to the defense has kept the trade in the regret category for many fans. Macks reflection on how the separation unfolded adds another layer to a breakup that already felt messy, and it is hard not to look back at that offseason and wonder how differently things might have gone for the Raiders if the relationship had held together a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Maxx Crosbys Von Miller Reaction Says Plenty To Raiders Fans
Von Millers move to Dallas adds another familiar name to the AFC West conversation, even if he is now wearing a different uniform. The veteran pass rusher was a free agent after his season with Washington, and his one-year deal with the Cowboys brings him back to the team he followed growing up in Texas. For Raiders fans, it also brings a reminder of just how much respect Miller still commands around the league, especially among edge defenders who have studied his game for years.
Maxx Crosby is one of them. The Raiders star has been open about the influence Miller has had on his own development, praising Millers mentorship and the way he has shaped parts of Crosbys approach on the field. So when Crosby reacted to the news, it said plenty about the bond between two of the sports most recognizable pass rushers, and about how much Millers presence still resonates with the next generation of defensive stars. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Ground Game Is Finally Showing Signs Fans Have Waited For
For three straight seasons, the Raiders have spent too much time at the wrong end of the rushing conversation, stuck near the bottom of the league and looking for answers up front. This offseason brought a clear attempt to change that, with the addition of offensive line coach Rick Dennison and the signing of center Tyler Linderbaum giving the team a different look and, maybe more important, a different direction.
Training camp and the preseason have offered the kind of early signs Raiders fans have been waiting for, with the ground game showing more life than it has in years. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington have both flashed in the backfield, and while August can only tell you so much, the runs have at least hinted that Las Vegas may finally have something worth building on when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]