Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp shine in Rams 24-21 exhibition win over Raiders
OAKLAND, Calif. – Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes for Oakland in his first game since breaking his leg last season and Jared Goff led three scoring drives for the Rams as both first-team offenses were sharp during Los Angeles’ 24-21 exhibition victory over Oakland on Saturday night.
Marshawn Lynch returned to the field for the first time since retiring following the 2015 season and once again declined to stand for the national anthem. He delighted the hometown crowd in Oakland when he burst through the line for a 6-yard run on his first carry and added another 4-yard run before calling it a night.
“It was awesome,” Carr said. “It was really loud, I’m not going to lie. It was really loud. That was good for the home crowd to see. Honestly, it’s good to be home again,”
Lynch said he decided to come out of retirement after the Raiders announced plans in March to move to Las Vegas for the 2020 season. Lynch wanted to give something back to his hometown fans in Oakland.
While some fans in Oakland have expressed bitterness, the Raiders are sold out for the entire season despite being lame ducks and drew a sellout crowd of 53,659 for their first home game of the preseason.
The most outward anger from the fans came when Goff led the Rams on a 88-yard drive to open the game, capped by a 23-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp. Goff, who struggled as a rookie after being drafted first overall last season out of California, played extremely well in his return to the East Bay.
Goff finished 16 for 20 for 160 yards, leading another TD drive that was capped by Todd Gurley’s 2-yard run and a field goal drive late in the first half.
Carr, who broke his leg on this same field during a Christmas Eve win over Indianapolis, played his first game of the preseason and looked in midseason form with the exception of one miscommunication with Michael Crabtree that led to an interception by Trumaine Johnson.
Carr capped the first drive with a perfectly placed 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Lee Smith and ended his night with a 13-yard score to Crabtree, who juked Troy Hill on his way into the end zone.
Comeback Win
After Oakland’s Connor Cook led a go-ahead drive capped by a 17-yard pass to Johnny Holton with 6:30 to play, Sean Mannion answered for Los Angeles and threw a game-winning 20-yard pass to Josh Reynolds with 1:11 remaining.
Stepping Up
Rookie receiver Cooper Kupp is showing he’s more than capable of making the transition from FCS to the NFL. Kupp, who set FCS records at Eastern Washington with 428 catches for 6,464 yards and 73 TDs, caught six passes for 70 yards and a TD while playing with the starters.
Anthem Doings
Lynch wasn’t the only player to make a stand during the anthem. Teammate Shalom Luani kneeled down during the start of the anthem and Los Angeles linebacker Robert Quinn raised his fist in protest. Lynch also sat last week and told coach Jack Del Rio he has done that throughout his career. Lynch has not publicly said why he is sitting for the anthem.
Where’s Watkins
Sammy Watkins got his first action for Los Angeles since being acquired in a trade with Buffalo this preseason. Watkins converted a third down on his first catch and added one more reception. Watkins nearly had a TD grab but could not come down with a deep pass from Goff with Sean Smith in tight coverage.
Mack Attack
Reining AP Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack also got his first action of the preseason for the Raiders and delivered one sack, three quarterback pressures and two tackles for loss in three series.