Raiders get ready to kickoff the preseason against the Los Angeles Rams

The Oakland Raiders open the 2019 preseason with a home contest against the Los Angeles Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. PT. The matchup follows a week that features two joint practices against the Rams' ball club at the Silver and Black's training camp home at the Napa Valley Marriott in Napa, Calif. After two weeks of training camp, Head Coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders will be- gin a preseason slate that showcases three NFC West teams and one NFC North club. The squad opens with the Rams and will then travel to play the Arizona Cardinals in a nationally-televised matchup on ESPN, before heading to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, concluding the preseason schedule on the road against the Seattle Seahawks for the 14th consecutive year. 

Coach Gruden, now in his second year of his second stint as the head coach for the Silver and Black, returns to the sideline once again to bounce back from a 4-12 season in 2018. QB Derek Carr, entering his sixth sea- son, will again be at the helm of the offense after a year that saw him hit career marks in passing yards (4,049), completions (381), completion per- centage (68.9) and yards per attempt (7.3 avg.). Carr set a franchise record by throwing 332 consecutive passes without an interception, a streak that ranks third-best in NFL history, and also set an NFL record for most com- pletions (1,759) through a player's first five seasons in the league. Added to the offense is four-time All-Pro WR Antonio Brown, who comes off a 2018 campaign in which he led the NFL with 15 receiving touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, DT Maurice Hurst looks to build upon a strong rookie campaign after leading the team in sacks, with the help of newcomers LB Vontaze Burfict and S Lamarcus Joyner. The team will also look for strong contributions from their three 2019 first-round selections: S Johnathan Abram, DE Clelin Ferrell and RB Josh Jacobs.

Here's a look at the Raiders' preseason overview:

• The Raiders are 132-134-1 (.496) all-time in preseason contests. 
• Oakland plays three opponents from the NFC West in the 2019 preseason, a division they also faced in the 2018 regular season. • The Silver and Black will host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, marking the third straight year the two teams have faced each other in the preseason. 
• The Raiders will play a nationally-televised preseason game on ESPN on Aug. 15 at the Cardinals in Week 2, marking the third time since 2016 that the Raiders will travel to Arizona to play in the preseason. 
• The Raiders will play host to the Green Bay Packers for Week 3 at IG Field in in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the team's first neutral site exhibition since participating in the 2006 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. 
• The Silver and Black will conclude their preseason slate in Seattle with a Week 4 matchup against the Seahawks, marking the 14th consecutive season the two teams will meet in the preseason finale, with 10 of those 14 games coming in Seattle.

Take a look at some of the connections between the two squads:

• Head Coach Sean McVay began his NFL coaching career as an as- sistant wide receivers coach for Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay in 2008. 
• Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson spent the 2017 season with the Rams as the quarterbacks coach and also served as the team's offensive coordinator from 2006-07.
• Raiders TE Derek Carrier played in 14 games with three starts for the Rams in 2017, recording eight catches for 71 yards. 
• Raiders S Lamarcus Joyner was originally drafted by the Rams in the second round (41st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent five seasons with the club from 2014-18, playing in 67 contests with 42 starts. 
• Raiders DT Ethan Westbrooks originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2014 and spent five seasons with the club (2014-18), totaling 67 appearances with 11 starts. 
• Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel held the same position with the Raiders from 2008-11.
• Rams run game coordinator Aaron Kromer was the Raiders assistant offensive line coach in 2001 under Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden before being promoted to offensive line coach from 2002-04. 
• Rams running backs coach Skip Peete held the same position with the Raiders from 1998-06, helping the club led the league in rushing in 2000 by averaging 154.4 yards per game.

Following Saturday's game, the Raiders will return to Napa for a short week of practice before making their first road trip of the preseason slate, as they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 15, a game that will be featured on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT.