Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Rams: 5 things to keep an eye on

6 of 6

OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Mentor vs. Student

Ten years ago, when he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jon Gruden hired a 22-year old named Sean McVay to his coaching staff. Tasked with coaching the Bucs wide receivers, McVay has come a long way since those days, but the connection between him and his mentor, Gruden, has not wavered over the years.

Last season, McVay got his first shot at being a head coach in the NFL, and in doing so, became the youngest in the history of the NFL to hold such a title. He actually passed former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin for the honor, and while it looked like a joke at the time, he blossomed into the NFL Coach of the Year.

On Saturday, McVay and Gruden will do battle inside the Los Angeles Coliseum, and it is one of the better storylines of this game. Sure, these two teams will meet up again on September 10 inside the Oakland Coliseum, but that does not take away from how excited these two must be to coach against each other.

Next. Raiders training camp: 5 pleasant surprises. dark

Gruden has shown himself to be so proud of McVay, and the head coach of the Rams proved he is here to stay by winning the NFC West last season. While they will mostly be playing Checkers on Saturday, the real Chess match will come a few weeks from now in Oakland.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News