Silver And Black Pride
A highlight of the Las Vegas Raiders training camp will come Thursday when they hold a joint training camp practice with the San Francisco 49ers at their Henderson, Nevada training facility prior to Saturday’s preseason game at Allegiant Stadium. The workout is scheduled from 8:45-10:50 a.m. PT.
Here are some things to watch at the joint practice:
Fundamentals:
Surely, new Raiders’ coach Pete Carroll and his staff will be looking for clean play from his units. The Raiders were sloppy in a 23-23 tie at Seattle in the preseason opener last Thursday. The starting units were particularly rough. The team committed 10 penalties in the game. Carroll will be looking to shore up those issues in this practice and Saturday when the Raiders host the 49ers in Week 2 of the preseason (1 p.m. kickoff).
Trench work:
Both las Vegas’ starting offensive and defensive lines struggled against Seattle’s backups. Both groups will be looking to bounce back this week If the struggles continue against the 49ers, it could cause some concern inside the organization.
Limit fighting:
OK, there will likely be, at least, one skirmish in this workout. It happens al the time around the league during joint practices and it’s been happening for years. The Raiders have been part of a couple of famous joint-practice brawls over the years. It’s just a recipe for a fight — it’s hot, it’s the dog days of training camp and there are unfriendly faces across from you. Fists will fly. Maxx Crosby is expecting it. So, both coaching staffs are surely bracing for it. The key is to make sure things got go sideways and the brawls overtake the day. Both teams are there for real football work and that has to be the focus.
Health:
Just like the actual preseason games, staying healthy is a major focus in joint workouts. As much as the quality work, getting out of the day healthy is the main priority.
