Raiders fall to Seahawks 17-15, finish preseason 3-1

SEATTLE — The Raiders fell 17-15 to the Seahawks on a rainy Thursday night to finish the preseason 3-1.

Now, the waiting game begins for 37 of the Raiders’ 90 players, as coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock determine who will be cut to form the 53-man roster.

Those decisions must be made by 1 p.m. PDT Saturday.

With that in mind, here are the top three takeaways from the Raiders’ final exhibition matchup.

1. Aggressive from the start

Raiders coach Jon Gruden attempted three fourth-down conversions in the first quarter.

The first two attempts were successful. When the offense stalled on Seattle’s 39-yard line, Gruden had the team stay on the field for fourth-and-3. Quarterback Mike Glennon fired a quick pass to wide receiver Keon Hatcher, who was wide open for a 15-yard gain to Seattle’s 24.

On the Raiders’ second drive, Gruden again had the club go for it on fourth down. This time it was fourth-and-1 from the Seattle 26, a situation the Raiders converted with running back Mack Brown’s 2-yard rush.

But the success didn’t continue on the Raiders’ third attempt. With fourth-and-goal at the Seattle 1-yard line, Glennon rolled to his right but couldn’t outrun Seattle rookie linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, who took the quarterback down for a 9-yard loss.

The Raiders had more opportunities to go for it on fourth down in the first half, but Gruden wasn’t as aggressive in the second quarter. He sent kicker Daniel Carlson out to attempt kicks on fourth-and-1 from the Seattle 24 and fourth-and-1 from the Seattle 2-yard line. Carlson missed the first attempt from 42 yards off the right upright but nailed the second from 20 yards as time expired before halftime.

2. Glennon looks like the backup

Quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman have ostensibly been competing for the backup role throughout August. But despite Gruden’s consistent refrain that he likes Peterman, Glennon looks more like the quarterback the Raiders will choose as Derek Carr’s backup.

Like in last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Glennon played the first quarter against the Seahawks. He finished 9 of 13 for 78 yards, avoiding turnovers and efficiently orchestrating the offense down the field.

A former third-round pick, Glennon has been in the league since the Buccaneers drafted him in 2013. His veteran presence and in-season playing experience make him a stronger candidate for that backup role.

Despite saying he wasn’t ready to declare a No. 2 quarterback, Gruden did say the team felt like it had seen enough from Glennon last week — and that’s why Peterman played the final three quarters against Green Bay. The Raiders followed a similar script for Thursday’s game in Seattle, with Peterman entering in the second quarter and playing the rest of the game.

Peterman made some nice throws and certainly has given the Raiders something to think about considering his progress in not turning the ball over. But the Raiders’ upcoming decision appears to be whether they will keep three quarterbacks — not if Peterman will be the team’s backup.

3. Now, it counts

The most important aspect of the preseason for most teams is to escape it without any major injuries.

The Raiders didn’t play their starters or key reserves for much of the exhibition season. As such, they were able to get through August unscathed during the games.

However, starting right guard Gabe Jackson suffered a knee injury in a practice with the Los Angeles Rams that will keep him out for the first few weeks of the season.

All things considered, however, the Raiders are healthy entering Week 1. And that will be critical if they are to defeat the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

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Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.