Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Opponent Review: Carolina Panthers
Why the Raiders Will Win
After missing extended time due to rehabbing from his injury, Teddy Bridgewater bounced back in 2019, finishing with his highest QBR of his career to date (99.1) and going 5-0 with the New Orleans Saints in relief of the injured Drew Brees. But now with Carolina, Bridgewater will be entering a new system, one that is, in reality, new to the entire team. On the other side, Las Vegas returns with Derek Carr now in year three of Jon Gruden’s system, with some new receiving weapons at his disposal.
The real key will be to observe how the front seven deal with the threat in the backfield that is Christian McCaffrey. With the more noticeable issues of the Raiders defense, last season was in the secondary, Las Vegas threw cash in the offseason to address their everlasting hole at linebacker. McCaffrey can do damage on the ground or as a pass catcher, and Week 1 will be the first sample of seeing how much the Raiders defense has truly improved.
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McCaffrey is just one part of the equation, and overall this Panthers team will still be adjusting the new system under Matt Rhule. Meanwhile, Las Vegas will be prime to maximize Jon Gruden’s playcalling with this new offensive additions. In a battle of experience versus novelty, the former will win out. Raiders go on the road and start the Las Vegas era with a win.