4 reasons the Las Vegas Raiders will beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 1
By Nick Ellis
4 reasons the Las Vegas Raiders will beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 1
Raiders offensive line vs Carolina pass rush
One thing that the Panthers do extremely well is rush the passer, and their group up front actually got better this offseason. The Panthers ranked second in the NFL last season in sacks per game with 3.3, but if one offensive line can prevent that, it is the Raiders, who have one of the elite groups in the league.
The Raiders will role into Week 1 with a healthy offensive line, as Kolton Miller, Richie Incognito, Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, and Trent Brown will be on the field protecting Derek Carr. One thing that Coach Gruden has done well is isolating the top pass rushers in the NFL, just like he did in Week 1 last year against Bradley Chubb and Von Miller.
If the Panthers struggle to get to Carr, they will struggle to get the Raiders off the field, and the Raiders will have to see less of Christian McCaffrey on the field. The organization brought Carr’s entire starting line back from a year ago, and have added some terrific weapons around him, and the hope is that he makes more plays downfield, and with his legs.