Oakland Raiders: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 1

The Oakland Raiders start the 2018 Preseason at home against the Detroit Lions. Here are three things to keep an eye on during that game.

This is a big season for the Oakland Raiders after a disappointing 2017. They had their first winning season since 2002 the year prior and were a team on the rise. Then things just kind of fell apart for them and they couldn’t find any consistency.

In the end, it cost head coach Jack Del Rio his job and they turned to an old friend in Jon Gruden to coach the franchise. They lured Gruden out of the booth where he had been calling games for a decade. Many eyes will be on him as he tries to bring the winning ways back to the Raiders.

Of course one of the most interesting things to watch all season will be how he runs the team and — more importantly — how he works with their young quarterback, Derek Carr.

On preseason game won’t be enough to answer how Gruden will change things, but there will be things to learn from their first game. On Friday, Aug. 10, the Raiders will host the Detroit Lions.

Here we look at three things to keep an eye on during that first exhibition game for the Raiders.