The 2022 NFL campaign started last night with the Las Vegas Raiders blowing out the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-11 in the annual Hall of fame Game in Santon, Ohio. Very few of the team’s starters were on the field for both squads, so there was an expected lack of pro-level competition.
Las Vegas scored on its first three possessions and were able to get out to a comfortable lead as Jacksonville — who held out notable offensive players quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne– was stagnant on that side of the ball. Raiders starter Jarrett Stidham finished with 96 yards passing while completing 8 of his 15 throws. Meanwhile, Jake Luton, who got the start of the Jags, completed 10-of-17 for 94 yards.
Give credit to the hometown kid, Josh McDaniels — the Raiders came to play right out of the gate. From the jump, Las Vegas seemed dialed-in offensively, even with key starters like Derek Carr, Davante Adams, and Darren Waller not playing. Jarrett Stidham got the nod to start the game under center and led two field goal drives on the Raiders’ opening two possessions. Those drives were headlined by the strong play of running back Josh Jacobs, who rushed for 30 yards on just five carries and caught both of his targets for 14 yards.
It was a bit concerning to see the Jags defense get pushed around early with some of their starting rotation along the front seven, specifically on the ground. In the first half, the Raiders ran for 95 yards on a 4.5 yards per carry average and two touchdowns. For the game, the Jags gave up 159 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. That’ll need to improve as they move forward this preseason.
Bright spot for the Jaguars tonight has been TE Luke Farrell, who has caught 3 of his 4 targets for 37 yards. The 2021 fifth-round pick caught just seven passes during his rookie season.
The 2022 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted this weekend in Canton.
Here are the inductees, sorted by category.
Players
Inductee Position Team(s)
Tony Boselli, Tackle, Jaguars
Cliff Branch, Wide Receiver, Raiders
LeRoy Butler, Safety, Packers
Sam Mills, Linebacker, Saints, Panthers
Richard Seymour, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle, Patriots, Raiders
Bryant Young, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle, 49ers
Coach
Inductee Position Teams
Dick Vermeil, Coach Eagles, Rams
Referee
Inductee Position
Art McNally Official/Administrator
From here, the Raiders will head back to Las Vegas and prepare for their exhibition with the Minnesota Vikings, which will take place Aug. 14 at Allegiant Stadium. As for the Jaguars, they’ll gear up for a home exhibition with the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 12 at TIAA Bank Field.
