The Las Vegas Raiders took a hard look in the mirror this offseason and decided to make some significant changes. Minority owner Tom Brady's presence has loomed large, and they completely restructured their front office and coaching staff.
John Spytek is now the general manager and chief personnel decision maker, and head coach Pete Carroll now leads a staff comprised of big-name coordinators like Chip Kelly and Patrick Graham. The team's roster is also wildly revamped in just one offseason.
Las Vegas started out its season with a win against the New England Patriots, but there is no rest for the weary, as a primetime Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers looms. Based on how the offseason went, it is no surprise that the Raiders could be in rare air with a win.
Raiders can accomplish bits of recent history with win vs. Chargers
On Monday, if the Raiders beat the Chargers, they will be 2-0 to begin the 2025 NFL season. The last time that Las Vegas began the year 2-0 was in 2021, when they overcame mounds of midseason adversity en route to a playoff appearance.
It would also mark the Raiders' first AFC West win since the 2023 season, as they went an atrocious 0-6 last year under Antonio Pierce. Of course, Las Vegas ran the table in the division with Pierce the year prior, beating the Chargers 63-21, the Chiefs 20-14 and the Broncos 27-14 to end the season.
Divisional matchups essentially count as two games, so they are always critical for a team with playoff aspirations. But especially this year, it will be important for Carroll to prove that he belongs with the heavyweight coaches in the AFC West.
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Lastly, with a win, the Raiders would take sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since Week 1 of the 2023 season. Right now, Kansas City is 0-2, and Denver is 1-1. A win against the Chargers would simultaneously drop them to 1-1 and elevate Las Vegas to 2-0.
Of course, the Raiders quickly gave up their position in 2023. But before that, it had been since Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season that Las Vegas led the AFC West by itself. Success within this group is hard to come by, so the Raiders must take full advantage.
There is a lot on the line on Monday night when the Chargers come to Allegiant Stadium: the team's first divisional win since 2023, their first 2-0 start since 2021, and their first time atop the AFC West in over two years. Hopefully, Carroll has the Raiders ready to go against a surging Chargers team.