The Las Vegas Raiders played far from a perfect game against the New England Patriots on the opening weekend of the 2025 NFL season. Fortunately, they did enough good to escape with a 20-13 victory on the East Coast and start the year 1-0.
But things won't be as easy in Week 2 when the Los Angeles Chargers travel to take on the Silver and Black at Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football. The Raiders will need to dramatically improve in several aspects of the game if they want to pull off what many think will be an improbable upset.
Not only do the cornerbacks need to provide a bit more resistance in coverage and the offensive line needs to communicate a lot better in pass protection, but offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and this offensive line need to get star rookie running back Ashton Jeanty going.
Raiders must establish the run vs. Chargers in Week 2
In Week 1, Jeanty ran 19 times for just 38 yards, which is a mere 2.0 yards per carry. Granted, the run-blocking for the Raiders was atrocious, and a solid portion of those carries came when Las Vegas was trying to ice the game and New England was able to sell out on the run.
However, both the team and fan base know that this is far from the expectation for the offense, especially given the draft capital invested in Jeanty. Only one of the five starters on the offensive line had even an average run-blocking grade, however, so Jeanty is not really the one to blame.
If the Raiders cannot figure out a way to pave lanes and get Jeanty involved early and often, however, it could completely derail the 2025 season. Fortunately, the Chargers' run defense is nowhere near as good as the Patriots' was, so Las Vegas has an opportunity to right the ship.
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Los Angeles gave up 98 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. This averaged out to 5.8 yards per carry, which is far better than the 2.3 yards per carry the Raiders averaged against New England.
Given the Chargers' tendency to run a two-high shell and dare teams to beat them on the ground and underneath, Las Vegas should be able to establish the run early. This should be especially true in two-tight-end groupings, where the team has another solid blocker on the field.
Jeanty is a generational talent, and it is only a matter of time before he really puts things together at the NFL level. The Chargers' run defense is not as good as the Patriots' was, so this is a prime opportunity for the Raiders to correct things. If not, the unit may be in a bit of trouble.