Raiders at Ravens 2024 Week 2: Matchups Las Vegas must win on Sunday

It was a disappointing Week 1 for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they played in front of a very friendly crowd inside SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders started strong on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Chargers to two field goals in the first half, but JK Dobbins and the Chargers run game proved to be too much after the break.

Injuries hurt the Raiders up front along the defensive line, as Tyree Wilson had to leave the game early, and the offense struggled at times with Gardner Minshew as the quarterback. They will have to flip the switch in a hurry in Week 2, as they travel to Baltimore to take on a Ravens team that many consider a Super Bowl contender in 2024.

Here, we look at three matchups the Raiders must win on Sunday if they are to pull off this improbable victory.

Raiders at Ravens 2024 Week 2: Matchups Las Vegas must win on Sunday

3. Davante Adams vs Ravens secondary

Davante Adams was targeted only six times in the team's loss to the Chargers, collecting five catches for under 60 yards. That kind of production is not going to get it done this season, as he is the key wideout for this team, and has to get at least 10 targets per game for Las Vegas to be productive on the offensive side of the ball.

The Ravens have a solid secondary, led by Marlon Humphrey, but they also have some young talent that the Raiders can try to exploit in this matchup. Adams has to be worked into the game early and often, as they will help free some of the other playmakers in the passing attack like Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker.

2. Luke Getsy vs Zach Orr

It was a sub-par debut for Luke Getsy as the offensive coordinator for the Raiders, as the team ran the ball only 22 times, and we saw Gardner Minshew throw it 33. Getsy was not great as the offensive coordinator in Chicago last season, but he does have a history of success from his time in Green Bay, and he will be going up against a first-year defensive coordinator Sunday in Zach Orr.

Orr replaced Mike Macdonald as the team's defensive coordinator when Macdonald went to Seattle to become the Seahawks head coach. This is going to be a chess match all game long, and hopefully, Getsy can right the wrongs that we saw from the Raiders offense during the Week 1 loss to the Chargers.

1. Raiders front 7 vs Lamar Jackson

There is no big secret when it comes to how the Raiders can pull off the victory on Sunday, and that is to try and minimize the damage done by Ravens star quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Jackson ran wild over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, nearly eeking out a road victory against the reigning Super Bowl champs, making this a tough matchup for the Raiders front-7 on Sunday.

Jackson is a bit banged up going into this matchup, as he sat out practice early in the week due to soreness, so that is something to keep an eye on. However, Las Vegas will be thin up front due to the injuries to Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson, and it seems like whoever can win this matchup, could be the one who wins this game outright.