Oakland Raiders: The good, bad, and ugly in preseason win over the Packers

Ugly: Turnovers

Ball security has been a running concern throughout the preseason – specifically in regard to the quarterbacks. And that concern continued through the game with Green Bay.

For the third straight game, backup quarterback E.J. Manuel fumbled a ball away. Connor Cook added an interception, giving the Raiders another two turnovers against the Packers.

Las Vegas Raiders

In three games of preseason play, the Raiders have racked up a whopping five turnovers – three fumbles by Manuel, as well fumble and interception by Cook. Stack that up against the two turnovers the defense has forced, and it leads to the same sort of troubling disparity that plagued the team last season.

A year after an opportunistic team recorded the best turnover differential in a dog’s year, last year’s squad had one of the very worst turnover differentials in the league (-14 to be precise). That poor showing in the turnover differential department helped add to the pile of misery that led to their 6-10 record.

Conversely, in 2016 – a year that saw the team go 12-4 and make the playoffs – they had a positive turnover differential (plus 16), so the correlation isn’t just being pulled out of thin air.

Keeping in mind, the turnovers and lack of ball security by both of Oakland’s backup quarterbacks is alarming – or, at least, it should be. It’s an issue the team is going to have to clean up – and clean up very, very quickly.