How will this affect the Raiders in 2019?
The Raiders will miss Lawson on the first four games as they open the season at home against Denver, a game which we will more than likely win. Then they stay at home against the Chiefs which we know have a great offense. Weeks 3 and 4 will be played in the midwest against the Vikings, then the Indianapolis Colts. Minnesota has a great receiving core and we all know what T.Y Hilton and Eric Ebron are capable of.
Week1: Denver @ Oakland
Denver had a decent offense last year but also acquired Joe Flacco in the offseason. The old saying is “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is true here. Outside of the Super Bowl season, Flacco has been average at best.
Some of that could be due to the defensive division he has played in, but the Broncos have an aging Emmanuel Sanders and few young receivers who can stretch the field. Even without Lawson, this should be a win for the Raiders on opening day.
Week 2: Chiefs @ Raiders
A saving grace is the Raiders will be playing the first two games at home. The downside is, the Chiefs were the best Offense in the NFL last year. It’s no wonder when you consider the best tight end in the league, arguably the best wide-receiver (if not top 3), and a quarterback which threw 50 touchdowns last year.
Can the Chiefs repeat? Just ask Denver circa 2015 with Peyton Manning making it to the Super Bowl two years in a row. This is the game I think they will struggle with the most because of the younger secondary and the experienced skill positions.