Raiders’ Nate Hobbs impressive in extended playing time

LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t needfully Raiders manager Jon Gruden’s program for rookie cornerback Nate Hobbs to play the full crippled against the Los Angeles Rams connected Saturday night. But with Damon Arnette a no-go and Keisean Nixon getting wounded during the game, Gruden had nary prime but to play Hobbs.

It besides meant moving Hobbs from the slot cornerback presumption astatine which helium has played truthful good during grooming campy to extracurricular corner, a spot astatine which helium took 2 snaps past week successful practice. And arsenic soon arsenic Hobbs lined up extracurricular successful the 3rd quarter, the Rams threw agelong to receiver Tutu Atwell connected Hobbs’ broadside of the field.

But arsenic Hobbs continues to prove, helium was up for the challenge. Reading the concern perfectly, helium near his sum area, wherever his antheral sat down connected a abbreviated route, and sprinted toward Atwell, who was moving up the seam portion matched against rookie information Tyree Gillespie.

“I deliberation it was the benignant of defence we played; I don’t truly deliberation it was my play,” Hobbs said aft a 17-16 preseason triumph astatine SoFi Stadium. “I was conscionable trying to beryllium a shot player.”

With the shot successful the air, Hobbs chopped successful beforehand of Gillespie toward Atwell portion simultaneously tracking the ball. As helium caught up with Atwell, helium leaped implicit him to drawback the ball, past held onto it arsenic helium crashed to the crushed for an interception.

“I looked up, shot was there, truthful I conscionable grabbed it,” Hobbs said.

It was 1 of a fistful of interaction plays Hobbs made, including a large work connected a surface walk to propulsion the Rams for a 4-yard nonaccomplishment and flushing backmost Bryce Perkins retired of the pouch connected a country blitz. In between, helium played different dependable crippled astatine slot cornerback, a presumption helium seems to person steadfast power of for the starting job.

In appreciation of the effort, Gruden did thing helium seldom does this clip of year.

“I don’t usually springiness retired crippled balls for preseason victories, but Nate Hobbs got one,” Gruden said. “Well deserved.”

A stunned Hobbs was humbled.

“It was crazy. I’m conscionable a rookie,” helium said. “It’s thing I’ll ne'er forget.”

Injuries piling up

The Raiders’ week successful Southern California, which included 2 associated practices with the Rams, turned retired to beryllium costly from a wellness perspective. And it puts the regular-season presumption of linebackers Nicholas Morrow and Javin White successful doubt.

Morrow suffered a ft wounded successful Thursday’s practice, and White, an awesome second-year imaginable from UNLV, was mislaid to a genu wounded successful Saturday’s game.

The Raiders expect to get linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski backmost this week, but Morrow’s and White’s injuries could sideline them for a lengthy period.

“We’re airy astatine linebacker close now,” Gruden said. “It’s a concern.”

Also, close defender Richie Incognito near Thursday’s signifier with a calf strain, but Gruden said the squad didn’t deliberation the wounded was superior and the anticipation is he’s acceptable for the opener.

Mariota inactive not ready

The Raiders wanted to play backup backmost Marcus Mariota against the Rams, but helium hasn’t afloat recovered from a strained quad that helium suffered 2 weeks ago. He was disposable connected an exigency basis, but Gruden wasn’t astir to propulsion him immoderate further.

“We’re not calling plays for him close present with the limitation,” Gruden said. “The mode helium plays, we bash not privation to get him retired successful a unrecorded concern and fto him chopped it loose. He’s conscionable not acceptable to go.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.