In Thousand Oaks, California, the Raiders’ joint practice with the Rams on Wednesday was far from satisfactory. The team’s sluggish start improved only slightly as the day progressed, but it never quite met their own high standards. This lackluster performance sparked frustration among several players.
“The standard is you show up and get better,” stated Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. “As a leader, it’s unacceptable to see guys not performing at their best.” Crosby is known for his outspoken nature and was frequently heard encouraging his teammates from both the line of scrimmage and sideline.
When verbal motivation didn’t seem to be enough, Crosby wasn’t hesitant about taking matters into his own hands. This led to a heated exchange with Rams running back Cam Akers after Crosby attempted to knock loose a ball held by Akers towards the end of a play. The situation quickly escalated into an all-out brawl involving players from both teams.
Crosby later revealed that he was merely trying to send a message to his teammates about stepping up their game: “I was just doing what I do,” he said nonchalantly.
The slow start for the Raiders on Wednesday didn’t sit well with anyone in the team. Safety Roderic Teamer admitted that it wasn’t their best day. While there could have been many reasons for this subpar practice – such as four days off given to most key players or practicing against Rams in Thousand Oaks instead of at home base in Henderson – no one made excuses.
“That’s football…You gotta be able to come out anytime you step on grass and put your best foot forward from start till end,” said wide receiver DeAndre Carter firmly.
Despite this disappointing day, there were some positive moments including Jimmy Garoppolo’s 70-yard touchdown throw to Phillip Dorsett and Sam Webb’s interception off a tipped ball at line of scrimmage. However, after three weeks of efficient football during training camp which included two impressive joint practices and an emphatic 34-7 win over 49ers last week – falling short of these standards felt like a setback for Raiders.
The defense struggled against Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford while dropped passes plagued offense; everyone knew they had underperformed without needing anyone else pointing it out: “We could all feel it…we know we can do better,” Teamer acknowledged candidly.
Raiders hope Thursday will bring improvement when they wrap up two days of joint practices with Rams: “There’s an opportunity tomorrow… I’m looking forward everyone getting out there and getting better,” concluded Crosby optimistically.