The Raiders will have to pull together in a team effort to defeat the Panthers in Week 1, but there are a few players who will be the key to victory.
The Raiders will have to play an all around great game in a trap game against Carolina. Although the Panthers struggled last year, they still have a few players that can make a big difference in a game. The Raiders will have to find a way to isolate the best players on the Panthers, while exposing their weaknesses.
Let’s take a look at three X Factors that will lead the Raiders to victory on Sunday.
Josh Jacobs, RB
Josh Jacobs will be the main key to victory for the Raiders in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, as the team looks to establish a dominant run game. In 2019, the Panthers were one of the worst teams in the NFL against the run, allowing over 140 rushing yards per game, and that is something the Silver and Black would like to exploit on Sunday.
On the other side, Jacobs was one of the best backs in the NFL, and looks to be even better in his sophomore season. Jacobs is coming back healthy after a shoulder injury held him out in the later part of last season, so expect him to be a work horse on Sunday, going for over 20 carries, and being more involved in the passing game as well.
If Jacobs does not get rolling on Sunday, the Raiders may find it not only difficult to move the ball on offense, but to run the clock down and keep Christian McCaffrey and the Panthers offense off the field as much as possible.