Mack sacks Goff — highlight for defense
Khalil Mack was on Rams quarterback Jared Goff like a shark on a bucket of chum, the Raiders defensive end displaying the form that could lead to many sacks this season. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr says 30.
Mack may need 30, because for the rest of the first half at the Coliseum on Saturday night, Raiders defenders played like chum. They couldn’t cover or tackle, and after one 3rd-and-10 play in which the Rams turned a short pass into a first down thanks to lackadaisical wrapping up, coach Jack Del Rio turned to his staff and shook his head. Not this again. “We went out last year making communication excuses,” linebacker Bruce Irvin said, “and it’s time for us to put that behind us and play like we know we can play. We have a long way to go, but I really feel like we have the guys in the room that can turn this thing around and hopefully we do.”
Goff, the Cal product, didn’t look all that great but still led two first-quarter touchdown drives and finished the half 16-for-20 for 160 yards. The biggest reasons for his success were Raiders rookie middle linebacker Marquel Lee and cornerback TJ Carrie.
Lee lost tight end Gerald Everett in coverage and then slipped when he caught up and tried to tackle him, the result a 24-yard play on the Rams’ first drive. On 2ndand-1, the Los Angeles offensive line moved the entire Oakland defensive line back nine yards.
Goff finished off a nightmare start to the home schedule for Raiders fans with a 23-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Cooper Kupp. The rookie out of Eastern Washington owned the veteran Carrie, who has been getting a look at starter after Sean Smith struggled at training camp.
Kupp finished with six catches for 70 yards in the first half, and fantasy football owners hopefully take the Raiders defense into account before drafting him in the second round.
Smith played after being arrested for felony assault in Pasadena on Thursday. He actually broke up a pass for Sammy Watkins in the end zone, and should reclaim his starting job soon.
Another bright spot for the defense was backup inside linebacker Jelani Jenkins, the team’s only defensive offseason signing. He didn’t sniff the first team at training camp in Napa, but had a nice tackle for a 3-yard loss in the third quarter.
That’s a play that Lee or second-year linebacker Cory James, another starter, haven’t come close to making in two preseason games.
It’s back on: Connor Cook had shown no resistance to EJ Manuel taking the backup quarterback job behind Carr. That was until Saturday night when Manuel put up an ugly 3-for-9 performance for 16 yards.
Cook provided a pretty 17-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Holton in the corner of the end zone with 6:30 left in the game. Vic Tafur is a Chronicle staff writer.