‘Too sloppy:’ Raiders settle for tie after rough start in preseason debut

The Raiders haven’t recorded a single tie in a regular-season game since the NFL implemented the sudden-death overtime rule in 1974. But they’ve now posted back-to-back ties in exhibition contests.

A year after wrapping up their preseason schedule with a tie against the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas opened this year’s slate Thursday night with a 23-23 deadlock at the Seattle Seahawks.

Raiders eighth-year kicker Daniel Carlson had a 55-yard game-winning field goal attempt as time expired, but Seahawks undrafted free-agent edge rusher Jalan Gaines got a hand on the ball for a blocked kick.

Carlson made a 51-yarder minutes earlier to knot up the score on a night where the Raiders trailed throughout, but he also missed another 55-yard attempt at the end of the first half.

The wide-right, first-half attempt was a fitting conclusion to the opening 30 minutes, when the Raiders were, “too sloppy,” in the words of coach Pete Carroll.

The Raiders’ new boss uttered the phrase multiple times during a halftime interview on the broadcast while heading to the locker room at Lumen Field.

Las Vegas trailed 16-3 at the break despite having played all its starters for at least one series, while Seattle went almost exclusively with backups.

The return of Carroll and new Raiders quarterback Geno Smith to Seattle, where they both achieved their highest level of NFL success, didn’t go according to plan. Smith looked fine but was only on the field for five snaps.

He completed a 15-yard pass to third-year receiver Tre Tucker, but fellow starting receivers Don’t’e Thornton and Jakobi Meyers dropped Smith’s final two passes, leaving him with a stat line of one completion on three attempts.

Carroll, meanwhile, bemoaned the Raiders’ penalties — they picked up 10 for 80 yards — and their poor tackling. Las Vegas hadn’t tackled at all in practice going into the game, and Seattle looked like the much more physical team early.

The Seahawks spoiled the ballyhooed debut of Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. The No. 6 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft was ineffective and bottled up, getting three carries for a total of minus-1 yards while playing in the first three drives of the game.

His former Boise State teammate, 2023 undrafted free agent George Holani, meanwhile starred for the Seahawks. Holani had eight touches for 81 yards and a touchdown, and for most of the night looked like he would go down as the key player in leading the Seahawks to victory.

But the Raiders regrouped in the second half, as their third-string players put on a much better showing than their first- and second-string peers.

While backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell went 18-for-30 for 205 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, emergency rookie option Cam Miller came in and completed six of seven attempts for 76 yards and a touchdown.

He found a favorite target in third-year pro Shedrick Jackson, who led the Raiders with 76 receiving yards off four catches, including Miller’s touchdown throw.

Jackson caught two passes in the final 20 seconds to set up Carlson’s ill-fated kick at the end of the game.

Other depth offensive standouts included running backs Chris Collier and Dylan Laube, who combined for 15 touches for 82 yards, but the Raiders might have gotten more notable performances on defense.

Carroll’s and Smith’s homecomings got the most attention, but former All-Pro Jamal Adams also returned to face his former team. The 29-year-old, who’s converting from safety to linebacker, made the most of it with the Raiders as he logged a couple of quarterback pressures and three tackles, including a pivotal one for a loss on third down.

Adams then rivaled star edge rusher Maxx Crosby as the leader on the sidelines, encouraging his less heralded teammates during their comeback.

“I’m just coming in and being myself,” Adams said on the broadcast. “It’s been a long time coming. I haven’t really been healthy in three years mentally and physically, so just to get back to where I am now before the injury, it’s huge.”

Adams mobbed undrafted free agent defensive tackle Treven Ma’ae in celebration late when the Baylor product sacked Seattle rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe to get Las Vegas the ball back for a chance to win.

Ma’ae, a Bishop Gorman High graduate, was a revelation, as he also blocked an extra point earlier in the game. Another defensive roster hopeful who popped was fellow Las Vegas native Kyu Blu Kelly, who broke up a pair of passes and was inches away from nabbing the Raiders’ second interception of the night.

Starting safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had the first, turning the Seahawks away from scoring with a takeaway at the nine-yard line on their first drive.

Seattle ended up scoring on three of its remaining four first-half possessions, but Las Vegas eventually stiffened and almost pulled out an improbable victory.

Instead, the Raiders will look to break their current run of preseason ties when they return to action against the 49ers at 1 p.m. on August 16 at Allegiant Stadium.

“I’m excited to get back to doing what I do,” Adams said.