Official Las Vegas Raiders Thread

Let's talk about FA acquisitions.

The Raiders signed:
QB Smith 37.5M
-posted an 83.7 graded at PFF, 4th best so far; 13th best QBR

ED Koonce 11.0M
-53.1 PFF grade, 44th among Edge Rushers, but his 4 pressures were 6th best

S Chinn 8.1M
-72.1 PFF grade, 9th best among safeties

G Cappa 5.5M
DNP

LB Pratt 4.2M
-80.2 PFF grade, 7th among LBs

CB Stokes 3.5M
-51.5 PFF grade, 39th among CBs

LB Roberts 3.0M
-49.9 PFF grade, 37th among 45 ranked LBs; limited to 11 snaps after suffering a sprained elbow. Update on injury pending.

CB Johnson 1.7M
-injured

RB Mostert 1.7M
DNP

TE Thomas 1.5M
DNP

DL Fotu 1.4M
DNP

S Adams 1.3M
-90.5 PFF grade, 2nd among LBs

CB Holmes 1.2M
-35.6 PFF grade, 47th among 49 CBs

LB White 1.2M
-66.9 PFF grade, 19th among 45 LBs

Was Adams the steal of Free Agency?

 

Adams and White played well. The defense was better in the second half. Tougher matchup on MNF. Smith plays better in a dome but yesterday he dispelled the narrative he struggles outside. I fully expect us to have a much better season overall playoffs or not. One game at a time...

 

Agreed on all fronts. Loved hearing how many times White's name was called. He racked up the tackles.

 

MNF... Carroll's B-day, opening home game of the season. We have reasons to play our best so far. BUT we'll see.

 

Sounds like Bowers is in danger of not being available.

 

Michael Mayer time...

 

No one can do what Bowers can while out catching passes, but I think Mayer and Thomas will be solid. Let's go, Irish!

 

Bowers is working on it. Might end up being a game day decision.
JPJ is in concussion protocol.
Elandon Roberts is back!

 

Am I crazy?

Raiders (1-0) host Chargers (0-1)
Two seasons ago, the Raiders and Chargers combined for 13 wins. That wasn't good enough. The Chargers went out and picked up Jim Harbaugh. They immediately improved to 11-6. The Raiders kept on Interim HC Antonio Pierce and fell to 4-13. They hired Pete Carroll and won their first game in a minor upset.

This is a meeting of two coaches with impressive resumes. Carroll is now 171-120 (.587), while Harbaugh is 56-25-1 (.689). They have combined for 16 playoff wins, two conference championships, and one SB title. So, the chess masters are clear. What are the relevant pieces?

For the Raiders, it's about a revamped defense and a banged-up offense. With a suddenly lethal pass rush (9 QB hits, 4 sacks in week 1), the Raiders are taking some pressure off their secondary. Second year OG JPJ is in the concussion protocol, and after the offensive line was atrocious in run blocking, that could be a problem. Brock Bowers, perhaps the top pass-catching TE in the league, is dealing with a knee issue. His status is undetermined.

The Chargers' O runs through Justin Herbert. Looking healthy, he hit four targets for 50+ receiving yards, spreading the ball to nine different pass catchers. Herbert is 6-3 in his career against the Raiders, and his 18 TD to 2 INT ratio is a huge reason why. Their defense is solid, too. They generate an impressive pass rush, as shown by 8 QB hits in week 1 against Pat Mahomes.

The Chargers are 3.5-point favorites, and they're coming off a huge win. But I think the Chiefs have faded a bit in the past two seasons, so the win might mean more symbolically than it shows how good the Chargers are. The Raiders need Bowers to play, but they are in this one. A home opener on Monday night? It's time for Geno Smith to break his poor record (4-14) on non-Sunday games.

Chargers 55% win chance
Prediction: 21-20 Raiders