Las Vegas Raiders to have plenty of national attention in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders will play at least four games on a national stage in 2021, including the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Las Vegas Raiders failed to make the playoffs once again this past season, and since the 2002 campaign, have been back to the postseason only once. That year, starting quarterback Derek Carr could not play in the game due to a broken leg, and the team was easily beaten by the Houston Texans.
It has been four straight seasons outside of the playoffs for the Silver and Black since then, but in 2021, they get a chance to finally become perennial playoff contenders. They have been hard at work revamping the roster, and after a solid 2021 NFL Draft, many feel they will challenge for a Wild Card spot.
On Wednesday night, the official 2021 slate will be announced, but we have already gotten some leaks, and the Raiders are going to be on full display this upcoming season.
As it stands, the Raiders will play on the national stage in:
- Week 1, Home vs. Baltimore (MNF), per Adam Schefter
- Week 4, Road vs. Los Angeles Chargers (MNF), per Daniel Popper
- Week 10, Home vs. Chiefs (SNF), per Vinny Bonsignore
- Thanksgiving Day Road vs. Dallas
We will know more about the schedule at 5pm PT, but all signs point to this being another tough road ahead for our beloved Raiders. The defense was atrocious this past season, but changes have been made, and hopefully, they have done enough to actually get a few stops against some of the best in the game.
Yannick Ngakoue has been brought in to solidify the pass rush, and the secondary has some exciting new pieces. In addition, the linebacker corps should be solid once again in 2020, and based on the team having a top-10 offense last season, that should be enough to win more than they lose in 2021.
Finally, the Raiders will have fans in the stands for Week 1, as they plan on welcoming Raider Nation inside Allegiant Stadium for the Ravens game. The 2021 season has a chance to be a special one, and for those who do not have NFL Sunday Ticket, or have the Raiders as their local team, there will be plenty of chances to watch them.