Garoppolo, Raiders receivers have big day against Rams

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — From Jimmy Garoppolo’s vantage point, Davante Adams had possession of the ball, got both feet down in the end zone and the Raiders had themselves a touchdown against the Rams to end their joint practice on Thursday.

The back judge saw it differently, though, and instead ruled the final play of two spirited joint practices between the Raiders and Rams out-of-bounds and incomplete.

Rather than celebrating a fourth-down touchdown and a positive end to a strong overall practice, the Raiders offense dropped to the ground and did pushups.

Much to the chagrin of Garoppolo.

“Definitely a catch,” Garoppolo later said, smiling. “All we needed was a red flag.”

Whatever disappointment he and the Raiders felt was immediately flushed, buoyed by the satisfaction they felt in the crisp, efficient effort they delivered on Thursday after their lackluster practice on Wednesday. The response to the disappointment of the day before was worth feeling good about. In particular, the way the Raiders responded to the declarations from Maxx Crosby and others that Wednesday’s effort was unacceptable.

“All that is is constructive criticism and a way to hold each other accountable,” said Raiders defensive lineman John Jenkins.

The highlights included a consistent pass rush to slow down Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who slashed the Raiders the day before. And mostly strong work from Garoppolo, who threw three touchdowns to Hunter Renfrow in 7-on-7 drills, hooked up with rookie tight end Michael Mayer for a touchdown in an 11-on-11 two-minute drill and worked the edges and middle of the field throughout with Adams and Jakobi Meyers.

“That was fun,” Garoppolo said. “There was a lot of competing out there.”

It wasn’t perfect. And as a handful of long-ball attempts that fell for incompletions proved, Garoppolo and the Raiders’ offense still have work to do getting entirely on the same page.

But as he pointed out, part of getting there also means pushing the envelope a little bit. And the setting against the Rams the last two days offered the ideal stage to do exactly that.

“That’s why we’re out here,” Garoppolo said. “It’s practice, so you want to try different things. Game time comes, it’s a lot different. … But out here you can try different things, trying to mix in a deep ball here and there trying to see what guys can do.”

It also meant heavy work with Renfrow, especially in the red zone when the pair hooked up on three scoring throws. “He sees the field really well, makes it easy on me,” Garopollo said of Renfrow. “He’s very decisive on routes.”

The budding chemistry between those two, along with the rhythm Garoppolo has established with Meyers and Adams on intermediate routes, offers a glimpse into how the Raiders will attack opponents through the air.

Not to say they won’t take some chances downfield — long-ball chances should be available when opponents start protecting the underneath or have to account for running back Josh Jacobs. But expect a big reliance on Garoppolo spraying the ball around on shorter-length throws that give his playmakers a chance to pick up yards after the catch.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.