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United Kingdom Ravens vs. Raiders: Going behind enemy lines to preview Week 2 ...
The Baltimore Ravens (0-1) will face the Las Vegas Raiders (0-1) on Sunday afternoon at M&T Stadium. Both teams are looking to avoid 0-2 starts.
The Ravens are coming off a 27-20 loss that saw an Isaiah Likely touchdown with just seconds on the clock get reversed to give Kansas City a hard-fought win in a thrilling matchup. Baltimore faces their second straight AFC West opponent, the rebuilding Raiders, who are looking to avoid another slow start under first-year head coach Antonio Pierce.
Before the game, we caught up with managing editor Levi Damien of Raiders Wire to get the scoop on the Ravens Week 2 opponent.
Here are six questions with Raiders Wire:
1.
Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) against Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) during Monday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With Tyree Wilson ruled out, what’s the Raiders’ plan to get pressure on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson? What makes Maxx Crosby unique, and how can Las Vegas scheme him into one-on-one matchups against Baltimore offensive tackles?
Levi Damien: Coming into the season, it was Malcolm Koonce who was to start at the defensive end spot opposite Crosby. His loss is the big one. Wilson wasn’t even guaranteed to be the next man up in that situation. That being said, it will be the combo of Janarius Robinson and Charles Snowden they hope will offer some pressure on the left side. They also called up K’Lavon Chaisson from the practice squad for depth.
Crosby is special because he has a lethal combination of relentlessness, technique, and instincts. Even with Joe Alt holding up well in the season opener for the Chargers, Crosby still made a large impact in part because they got him free runs at Justin Herbert through stunts. And attempts to run away from Crosby don’t work. If he is given a free run, he will still close on the runner before they can get through the line. Not putting at least one blocker on him will not be an option.
2.
Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) runs with the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Gardner Minshew had a solid performance in the loss to the Chargers, and he’s a solid quarterback. What can the veteran signal-caller give Las Vegas an actual shot at upsetting Baltimore on the road? What does Minshew have to avoid in critical moments on Sunday?
Levi Damien: I wouldn’t say he had a solid performance, honestly. While his 75% completion looks great on paper, if you see his league-low 4.5 air yards per completion, you see there’s more to the story. Dumpoffs and quick passes into the flat are not going to cut it. He must push the ball down the field. And with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers along with speedster Tre Tucker, there’s no excuses for not doing it.
He also has to take care of the ball. He had an untouched fumble on a backward pass because he tried to pull a pass back and it slipped out of his hand. He also had a pass batted in the backfield – also his fault – that was intercepted.
3.
Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White (3) is stopped by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor (36) after a short gain in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Josh Jacobs departed, and the Raiders have taken a committee approach to running back. Who gives Las Vegas the best shot at gashing Baltimore’s talented defense?
Levi Damien: I think despite saying they were going with a committee approach, they intended on making Zamir White the primary back. Then he couldn’t get anything going last week so they turned to Alexander Mattison to better results. Antonio Pierce called it going with the hot hand. And if that’s the case, he could stick with Mattison, or at least give both backs equal opportunities to see who can get something going. That being said, for either of them to do anything, the blocking must be better. Andre James and Kolton Miller had horrendous games last week. Miller has somewhat of an excuse considering he missed a lot of camp. James was just getting his lunch eaten on the interior. You would know better than I how the Ravens Dline will perform.
4.
Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) is stopped by Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) after a compete pass in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Davante Adams is an all-time great. What can Raiders OC Luke Getsy do to help Adams have a dominant performance in hostile conditions?
Levi Damien: It’s not all on Getsy. I don’t doubt Getsy had plays drawn up to get Adams the ball. I think Minshew either didn’t pull the trigger or didn’t have the protection and time to do it. As I said, their LT Miller had a bad game. They thought if anyone might need some help it would be RT Thayer Munford. Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa were beating Miller a lot. And when your usually solid blindside protector is neither solid nor protecting your blindside, it can be difficult to settle in and execute a game plan.
5.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (11) returns a kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
One under-the-radar performer to watch on both sides of the football.
Levi Damien: On the offense, I’d watch Tre Tucker. The 2023 third rounder had offseason Lasik eye surgery and it has completely fixed the issues he had as a rookie with tracking the ball in the air. Adding catching ability to his 4.2 speed makes him potentially lethal.
Another speedster coming into his own in his second season is CB Jakorian Bennett. He was rushed into service as a rookie and was benched after four games. Throughout the offseason, preseason, and the opener last week, he has been a shutdown corner and he has picked off a lot of passes as well. If Lamar Jackson thinks he can pick on him, he may pay a hefty price for that.
6.
Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce watches from the sidelines in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
What can Las Vegas do to pull off the upset?
Levi Damien: See the stuff above about what Gardner Minshew must do. That’s the big one. But on defense, they need to play more disciplined against the run. They were concerned about run defense all offseason and it reared its ugly head in the second half of the opener. And it was just a few discipline issues they need to clean up. That whole “do your job” thing mainly which is to say stop trying to do someone else’s job and be where you’re supposed to be. Two failed run fits led to a couple long runs and touchdowns in the game.
