Las Vegas Raiders rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy did not have a great outing in the team's 27-14 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. After playing for the first time since 2024 while at Tennessee, McCoy had two plays against Arizona that he may not only want to get back, but also tell the story of his performance on the evening.
McCoy allowed two of the three receiving touchdowns that the Raiders gave up in the game. His first was a 10-yard back shoulder REC TD that Cardinals WR Simi Fehoko reeled in midway through the second quarter. McCoy got a hand on Fehoko immediately off of the snap in press man coverage, but was gotten the better of by the Cardinals' pass-catcher, who created separation with a slight push-off to contort for the catch.
An identical play unfolded at the end of the second quarter. Cardinals WR Jalen Brooks brought in a back-shoulder TD grab in the red zone in like fashion. On this occasion, McCoy did not elect to get his hands on the receiver off the snap, which contributed to Brooks getting to his spot.
Despite his two mishaps in the game, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak expressed confidence in McCoy following the loss.
"We wanted to put them in a lot of man coverage situations," Kubiak said. "…And it's great for Jermod [McCoy] to go out and get that experience. His first football in a year. I still can't say enough great things about what he's done to get himself physically to this point, I'm really proud of him. And last night he got back to football and got a few thrown on him, but he's going to be better for it. So, we'll just keep improving."
More physicality figures to do McCoy well in tight man coverage moving forward. More time getting acclimated to the NFL game after his time off due to injury figures to give him the experience that he needs to make better plays on the ball down the line.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders CB Jermod McCoy struggled in preseason debut as shakes rust off
