The Las Vegas Raiders’ (1-0) season-opening win over the New England Patriots left a lot of room for improvement.
The rushing game was a struggle. The defense improved in the second half, but that was against a second-year quarterback who has a long way to go to be an impactful NFL starter.
That won’t be the case when the Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) come to Allegiant Stadium.
The Chargers knocked off the AFC Boogeyman, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Brazil.
Justin Herbert finally showed up in a big game in a big way. Herbert finished 25-34 for 318 yards and three touchdowns. He also sealed the game on a 19-yard scramble.
Keys:
Run the Ball:
The Raiders had 56 yards rushing on 24 carries. That won’t be enough against the Chargers.
Not only does the offensive line need to be better, but the offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, must do a better job of dialing up the right running play at the right time.
Until the offensive line improves, when runs are called is just as important as what runs are called.
Ashton Jeanty was picked in the first round for a reason, but he’s going to need help from the line and Kelly.
Big Plays in the Passing Game:
The Chargers only allowed three passing plays that went over 20 yards, and all of those happened in the second half. The Raiders had eight against the Patriots.
The health of tight end Brock Bowers will be key. He’s just as involved in the deep passing game as the wide receivers, but he was injured late against New England.
Once again, it comes down to the offensive line’s performance. The Chargers only had two sacks against Kansas City, but Pat Mahomes is a lot more nimble than Geno Smith.
If Smith has a clean pocket and Bowers is healthy enough to play, the Raiders will have chances at big plays.
Pressuring Herbert Responsibly
As Chris Jones of the Chiefs found out, if you lose contain, Herbert will make you pay.
The Raiders recorded four sacks in the New England game and had multiple other pressures, but there’s a significant difference between Herbert and Drake Maye.
If Herbert gets flushed out of the pocket and he’s contained, the secondary has to do their part and stay connected to the receivers without committing a penalty.
