It was the first time in eight months, two weeks and a day that Jimmy Garoppolo had taken the field in a competitive football environment, some five months since the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback had undergone surgery on his injured left foot.
Yes, it was merely a preseason game, against an opponent he had faced nine times and defeated eight in the Los Angeles Rams. And sure, he played only one series, the opening drive at SoFi Stadium.
But with as sharp and precise as Garoppolo looked in that small sample, it left the Raiders not only feeling comfortable with their new quarterback, but also wanting more.