Raiders experience along Offensive Line will be the difference Sunday

Raiders return all five starters up front

The entire Raiders starting offensive line from last season will be ready to go on Sunday, this after right tackle Trent Brown returned to practice on Thursday. For the Raiders, this will be a decided advantage, especially when you take into consideration there was no preseason, and Brown and Gross-Matos will be playing in their NFL debut.

One of the big questions all offseason was how Derek Carr will do in his third season in Jon Gruden’s offense, and the front office made sure to put him in the absolute best position to succeed. They revamped his wideout group, brought back his entire offensive line, and even brought in future Hall of Famer Jason Witten to mentor the youngsters at tight end in Darren Waller and Foster Moreau.

Sunday, this group will have to deal with an aggressive and young defensive front, and there really is no weak link to the Raiders group heading into Week 1. If they are all healthy and ready to go, it will make life very difficult for the Panthers pass rush.

There are many things that will have to go right in order for the Raiders to come away with the Week 1 victory on the road, especially going all the way to the East Coast to play. However, if the offensive line can win the battle up front, that should give Carr and his weapons enough time to make plays and put up points.