Carolina Panthers (0-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)
Sunday, September 22, 4:05 PM ET
You have to start off by giving credit where it’s due, because I’ve been really hard on the Las Vegas Raiders throughout the course of the offseason. For the Raiders to go into Baltimore and gut out a tough win against the Ravens is no small deal.
It’s actually a really big deal, as far as things can be a really big deal early in the season. The Ravens are historically great at home, and West Coast teams flying to the East Coast to play in that early time slot is never an easy task. But the Raiders were up to the task against the Ravens, and Maxx Crosby has started his early candidacy for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Raiders now get the opportunity to turn around and play at home against the worst team in the league – the Carolina Panthers – and perhaps catch some momentum in the early goings of the 2024 season.
The Panthers have been abysmal for the first two weeks of the year, getting absolutely blown out in consecutive weeks by both the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. When looking at the first three games on their schedule, however, this road trip to Las Vegas may be the most “winnable” game the Panthers have.
Former #1 overall pick Bryce Young has officially been benched by the Panthers in a slightly shocking development. We'll have to wait and see what Andy Dalton can do under Dave Canales.
The Raiders are 7-point favorites in this game, which feels pretty reasonable considering the effort we just saw from them on the road. But they need to come back home and prove that win against the Ravens didn’t take the wind out of their sails.
I still think Maxx Crosby is about to absolutely feast in this matchup once again.
Prediction: Raiders win 27-13