3 storylines for the Raiders' home opener against the Panthers

Can the Raiders finally stop the run?

Despite being stout against the run at the end of the 2023 season, Las Vegas left the preseason feeling like they had an issue in this realm to begin the season.

The Chargers ran all over the Raiders in Week 1 if you look at the amount of total rushing yards, but they were largely accumulated on two big runs.

But the problem arose again in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, where they relinquished over 150 yards on the ground again.

Both the Ravens and Chargers have elite rushing schemes to pair with a plethora of powerful and elusive options, but if the Raiders want to have an elite defense, they need to stop the best of the best.

This week, the Raiders will take on a Panthers rushing attack that is currently ranked 29th in the NFL in total yards through two weeks. They only have a single rushing touchdown, which was by Bryce Young, who won't play Sunday.

The Panthers running back tandem is Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders, who are not elite backs by any means, but they are not absolute zeros. Carolina has struggled to move the ball and found themselves down in both games, so they have had to abandon the run early in attempt to make a comeback.

Not to mention, the Raiders have had issues with missed tackles throughout the first two contests:

If Carolina can stay in the game and find a way to run the ball, it may be problematic for the Silver and Black. They have to get back on track against the run this week in order to win this game handily, and to provide confidence for the weeks to come.