Las Vegas Raiders can make a huge statement on Monday Night Football
By Brad Weiss
Las Vegas Raiders can make a huge statement on Monday Night Football
Is the franchise moving in the right direction?
Week 2 will be a big test for the young Raiders, who looked a bit lost on defense in Week 1 against Carolina. Teddy Bridgewater was able to do whatever he wanted in the passing game, and that kind of effort is not going to work against a future Hall of Famer in Drew Brees.
While New Orleans will be without top wideout Michael Thomas, Brees has a ton of weapons to work with, including a do-everything back in Alvin Kamara. The Raiders were able to minimize the damage early against another incredible back in Christian McCaffrey last Sunday, but they will need to make life tough for Brees in this one if they hope to escape 2-0.
This is a statement game for the franchise because it will show whether or not this team has really taken a step in the right direction. They were expected to win in Week 1, and did, but the Saints pose a much taller task, and the young draft picks will be expected to step up and prove they are cornerstone players for this organization moving forward.
Guys like Jacobs and Crosby have already shown they can dominate at the NFL level, and we saw a nice effort from Johnathan Abram in Week 1. With five first round picks over the last two drafts, the Raiders have gotten younger, and faster, and getting to the playoffs has to be a real expectation in the first season in Las Vegas.
Next. Las Vegas Raiders should expect Thunder and Lightning on Monday. dark
A win would be the absolute best-case scenario for the Raiders in Week 2, but also proving that they are no longer a doormat for the rest of the league would also be seen as a positive. The franchise has done a nice job revamping this roster, especially since Mayock arrived, and Monday the whole world will be watching to see what the state of the organization is.