Raiders vs. Ravens: 3 X-factors that must go Las Vegas’s way in Week 1
Get off the field on third down
This offseason, Las Vegas did a great job revamping the defense, getting better at all three levels, and hopefully fixing the many holes from the 2020 team. Last season, the Raiders were atrocious on defense at times, finishing in the bottom-3 of the NFL, and that is something that cannot happen again if they hope to make the playoffs.
One of the more frustrating pieces of the defense last season was how they played on third down, as it seemed it did not matter how many yards the opposition needed, they would get it. Baltimore is going to have a game plan for Jackson to extend drives with his arm and his legs, so getting off the field is going to be paramount.
Las Vegas has the talent to win this game despite being an underdog, but the defense being out there for extended periods of time cannot happen. The Silver and Black need to do whatever they can to get off the field on third down, because the more opportunities you give Jackson, the more likely that he is going to get his team into the end zone.