The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season with more storylines to follow than anyone can count. Whether it's the heated AFC West rivalry, the storied competition between Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, or the roster crossover, this will be an epic game.
Las Vegas will have to defend its home turf on Monday Night Football, as it welcomes the Chargers into Allegiant Stadium for the final game of the week. The fan forecast indicates that it will be 86% Raiders fans at the game, so the Silver and Black may finally have some home-field advantage as well.
On the field, however, there is one matchup in particular that the Chargers could take advantage of in Week 2. Their star defender could cause major problems for a Las Vegas offense that is dealing with a crucial injury.
Raiders' Brock Bowers must win battle vs. Chargers' Derwin James
Chargers star safety Derwin James is one of the best players in the NFL. Not only is he an incredible tackler and can rush the passer when needed, but at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he can stick in coverage on even the best pass-catchers and route-runners.
Given his ability to move around and play in the slot, it is likely that he'll be matched up against Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers again on Monday. Bowers is dealing with a knee injury, and while reports have been positive, there is no guarantee he'll be at 100% by game time.
This could spell doom for a Las Vegas offense that is centered around Bowers. Obviously, the team has a diversity of strong pieces and survived without him in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots, but the Chargers pose a much bigger challenge.
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Last year, Bowers had an average debut against the Chargers with James on him, as he caught six passes for 58 yards. In the final game of the season, he caught just four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, but the score came with just seconds left in a blowout, and James was not on the field.
Two of Bowers' five lowest Pro Football Focus grades came against the Chargers in 2024. Meanwhile, James' third-highest grade of the season came in Week 18 against Bowers and the Raiders, and he was the highest-graded player on Los Angeles in that game.
No matter how one slices it, James is a matchup problem for Bowers, even when he is healthy. Obviously, this is a new-look Raiders team with a massively upgraded quarterback and play-caller, but winning this individual battle will be paramount to Las Vegas' success on Monday night.