No matter how you look at it, the Raiders were victorious today.
The team conducted a mock game inside of Allegiant Stadium for their ninth training camp practice. With guys shuffling in at multiple positions, the final score ended up being 38-36. Nevertheless, the score doesn't matter as much as the competitive, gameday atmosphere helped prepare the roster for what's the come.
Raider Nation was victorious as well, filing into the stadium for a first look at Geno Smith and first-rounder Ashton Jeanty among others. It was worth the price of admission considering the big plays witnessed on the grass.
Here's a look at the top performers in Saturday's mock game.
Brock Bowers
I mean, who's surprised really?
Brock Bowers recorded five catches in the first half, two of which were in the end zone. The first touchdown was on a third-and-goal with Bowers finding a soft spot in zone coverage. The second touchdown was an impressive back shoulder grab near the left pylon.
He also caught a deep pass from Smith with less than a minute left before halftime, which set up a touchdown pass to Dont'e Thornton Jr. a few plays later.
Michael Mayer
The third-year tight end continues to stack days and build upon his most impressive training camp to date.
He excelled in 12 personnel alongside Bowers, reeling in three catches in the first-half – two for big gains down the field. It continues the pattern that's been established this training camp of the tight end room becoming big targets in this offense for Smith.
"Every time you come to practice, you see those guys showcased," Pete Carroll said of Mayer and Bowers. "And it's because they have talents. And Geno gets it, he knows there's guys. We've come a long way in that regard so far."
Maxx Crosby
The Condor is due for a least one "wow" play when he steps on the field.
He drew a lot of attention throughout practice, opening things up for Malcolm Koonce on the other side of the line for a few stops.
Crosby undoubtedly had the play of the day for the defense as well. With Aidan O'Connell trying to stand tall in the pocket, Crosby crept behind him and stripped away the ball in throwing motion. The edge rusher recovered the ball and proceeded to run it back to the opposite end zone for seven points.
"It was awesome. I hope we see a lot of that," Carroll said of Crosby's strip sack.
Phillip Dorsett
The veteran receiver previously spent some time with the Raiders previously, signing with the team in the 2023 offseason before being released at the end of the preseason.
He has returned under the Pete Carroll regime, growing his role day by day in camp. With his speed, he got loose twice behind the secondary for two touchdown grabs. The first was in the red zone from Aidan O'Connell, and the second was a deep pass from Geno Smith.
In what's been a competitive wide receiver room, Dorsett could be gaining momentum heading into the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
