The Oakland Raiders wrapped up the 2016 preseason Thursday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, falling to the Seattle Seahawks 23-21.
Unsurprisingly, a majority of the teams starters didn't play, instead allowing the younger players on the depth chart a chance to get some extended run.
With the preseason now in the rearview mirror, the next time Head Coach Jack Del Rio and Co. will be on the field will be Week 1 when they open the season at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. However, before our focus shifts entirely to the Saints, let's take some time to look at the playtime percentages from the bout with the Seahawks, and see what we can learn from the numbers.
Offense
Four Lineman Go The Distance– Tackle Matt McCants, guard Vadal Alexander, guard Oni Omoile, and guard Denver Kirkland played all 65 snaps in Thursday's preseason finale against the Seahawks. For the most part the group provided strong protection for the team's quarterbacks, allowing just two sacks, and also helped spark the running game, as the Raiders finished the evening with 105 rushing yards.
Austin Howard Is Forced To Leave Early– Veteran lineman Austin Howard started Thursday's contest at left tackle, but only played 19 snaps (29%) before exiting in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Although he left early, when asked about the nature of Howard's injury, Head Coach Jack Del Rio didn't seem to think it would be too serious.
"I think Austin rolled his ankle but I think he's going to be ok," said Head Coach Del Rio. "I don't know if we had anything else that's major, I think we did pretty good."
K.J. Brent Paces The Wide Receivers– The undrafted rookie played 49 snaps (75%) in Thursday night's game with the Seahawks, finishing the evening with four catches for a team-leading 59 yards. In order to make the final roster, Brent had to put together a quality outing in the preseason finale. That's precisely what he did, and now he'll have to play the waiting game leading into Saturday afternoon's roster reduction deadline.
Defense
Denico Autry Fills Up The Stat Sheet– Have a day, Denico Autry. The interior lineman played 29 snaps (47%) against the Seahawks, and enjoyed a tremendous game, finishing his night of work with six total tackles, one sack, five tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and one pass defensed.
"I was just working on using my hands," Autry said postgame. "It's something that [Head Coach Jack Del Rio] got on me about all week, using my hands."
Karl Joseph Takes The Field– While a majority of the Raiders presumed starters didn't see the field Thursday night, rookie safety Karl Joseph was the exception to that rule, playing 31 snaps (50%) in the preseason finale.
The team's first-round draft pick finished the night with just one tackle, but after missing the Offseason Workout Program, any live reps he's able to get will pay dividends for him down the road.
Shilique Calhoun Takes Down The Quarterback– The rookie linebacker played 54 defensive snaps (87%) in Thursday's preseason finale against the Seahawks. In total, he finished his night of work with three total tackles, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
Calhoun was a disruptive force along the defensive line all night, and has seen his game grow dramatically over the past month.
"Honestly, it's been a total 180," Calhoun said. "Week one, I was just still dazed and confused and trying to understand the defense, and now going into this fourth preseason game, I understand things a lot better, and that goes along with having great veterans to help you understand how each and every play kind of breaks down."
