Las Vegas Raiders can make a huge statement on Monday Night Football

The Las Vegas Raiders play host to the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, and can make a huge statement in terms of the franchise with a victory.

The Raiders franchise brought back former head coach Jon Gruden leading into the 2018 NFL season, inking him to a 10-year deal to bring the franchise back to it’s former glory days. In his first stint, Gruden made the Raiders one of the best teams in the AFC, and built up the roster that eventually went to the Super Bowl.

As he enters Year 3 of his return, he is moving the franchise in the right direction. After a four-win season in 2018 with a horrible roster, Gruden and new general manager Mike Mayock struck gold in the 2019 NFL Draft, bringing in the likes of Josh Jacobs and Maxx Crosby among others. 2019 saw them win seven games, setting the stage for a very important 2020 campaign.

In Week 1, running back Jacobs stole the show, rushing for three touchdowns on an offense that was able to move the ball down the field with ease. Jacobs showed that his rookie season was no fluke, and you can expect the offense to run through him as long as he is healthy enough to carry the load.

Quarterback Derek Carr, who was widely criticized this offseason, and really since Jon Gruden arrived, also played solid football, protecting the ball while completing over 70 percent of his passes. He is the perfect quarterback to run this offense, and will have a tall task in Week 2 against a tough Saints pass rush.