Las Vegas Raiders bold predictions for Week 2 vs. Ravens

Well, that did not go as planed. The new era of Las Vegas Raiders football shared too many similarities with the old one, as turnovers and inopportune missteps cost the team dearly in last Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Silver and Black better clean it up before their Week 2 meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.

There are no playoff or bust-like expectations attached to this Raiders' season. Quarterback uncertainty and fierce AFC competition prevents anyone who is not deeply entrenched in “The Black Hole” from feeling bullish about their 2024-25 prospects. Make no mistake, though. This is still a pivotal year.

Growth must occur and a path to prosperity must be forged. The early stages of a franchise revival were actually supposed to have occurred last season, as Pierce breathed new life into the locker room and spurred Vegas to a feel-good 3-1 end to the campaign. Those warm and fuzzy vibes will not last long, however, if the team does not take a leap forward.

Sporadic displays of dogged determination are not going to cut it going forward. Regardless of how they finish in the standings, the Raiders must figure out how to consistently play a winning brand of football. One does not typically shed their bad habits before facing a formidable foe like Baltimore, but this is a new era, right?

Now, Pierce and company need to prove it. As Las Vegas makes its final preparations for Sunday's road game, we will make our predictions for what many consider to be an afterthought. It is time to be a bit bold and tell you why the Raiders might give the Ravens more trouble than most anticipate.

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Raiders' defense makes Lamar Jackson uncomfortable early

The organization is investing a significant amount of money in its front seven, and it shows. Despite registering only one sack, Vegas' defense silenced Justin Herbert's passing attack and held the QB to just 144 yards and 5.5 yards per pass. Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins are a potentially ferocious duo on the defensive line and should disrupt many offensive game plans this season.

That includes in Week 2. Baltimore's pass-catching group might be as deep as it has been in a while, following Isaiah Likely's breakout performance last Thursday, but its identity is still heavily linked to the damage it can inflict on the ground. While every defensive coordinator braces for Lamar Jackson, few have the personnel that Patrick Graham has to successfully limit the explosive MVP.

The “Lamar Rules” have not formally been written to my knowledge, but I expect the Raiders to take away Jackson's space early on and force him to rely more on his arm than his legs. A couple of sacks will set the tone and convince everyone that the Ravens are still looking at the Kansas City Chiefs through their rearview mirror. Likely is already hinting at a rematch.

There are a couple of teams that you can afford to sleep walk against, but with multiple difference-makers applying pressure, Las Vegas should not be one of them. Although Jackson and Baltimore should adjust and awaken in the second half, a slow start offensively could be enough to make things interesting in the fourth quarter.

Gardner Minshew stays active in the passing game

The Raiders have yet to truly discover their offensive identity, but with Josh Jacobs gone and Davante Adams still here for the time being, emphasizing their aerial attack seems like a wise strategy.

There are many skeptics who do not believe journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew has the necessary ability to effectively implement that style of play, and they are perfectly justified in holding that opinion. After all, he only eclipsed 250 passing yards four times in 13 starts for the Indianapolis Colts last season. When he did air out the ball, though, it occurred in pairs.

Minshew is in rhtyhem after completing 25-of-33 pass attempts for 257 yards with one touchdown. He did not exactly dazzle the masses, to be clear, committing an interception and a lost fumble, but he proved that he can spray the pigskin around to the Las Vegas wide receiving corps.

Behind a strong offensive line and running back room in Indy, Minshew was not asked to do too much. The plan worked fairly well, with the Colts falling just short of the playoffs. The Raiders do not have some of those luxuries, however. Their offensive line is around the middle of the pack and Zamir White and Alexander Mattison form an unpredictable RB committee. For better or worse, new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will have to trust Minshew with more responsibilities.

And I believe it will be better. Davante Adams is still a game-breaker and tight end Brock Bowers garnered eight targets in his first career NFL game. They have the talent to give this defense fits, and their quarterback has enough skill to hit them in the right spots. Gardner Minshew should once again clear the 250-passing yards mark in Week 2.

But will that equate to a massive upset win?

Raiders give Ravens a good fight until fourth quarter

My answer to the question above is… no. Baltimore is the better team and will be playing in front of a frenetic home crowd in M&T Bank Stadium for the first time this season. There is reason to believe the squad could still be ruminating on their clash with the Chiefs, but a 10-day break should be long enough for an experienced head coach like John Harbaugh to get his guys in the right mindset.

However, I still foresee some stumbles in the Ravens' future. The loss of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald requires an adjustment period, allowing Minshew Mania to possibly run wild for a half. Baltimore's natural inclination to run the football could also be in jeopardy. Making free agency signing Derrick Henry a focal point of the offense should be a trying task versus Las Vegas' defensive line, even if it is banged-up.

If the Raiders take care of the football, which was hopefully Antonio Pierce's number one area of focus at practice this week, they should be locked in a competitive battle well into the second half. This group is better than its Week 1 effort, and it should show that on Sunday.

The concerns about the team's rushing attack, offensive line and secondary will probably be realized as the game progresses, though, opening the door just wide enough for the Ravens to barge in and grab a one-possession victory. Raider Nation will struggle to keep its glass half-full after an 0-2 start, but fans should go into Monday feeling more optimistic about their team than they did a week ago.

Considering there are still key holes that need to be filled in the next year, gradual yet noticeable improvement is probably the best you can ask for.