By: Kevin Le

The Las Vegas Raiders welcomed their fans into the 2021 NFL season with a 33-27 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. This game was the first time fans were allowed in the brand new Allegiant Stadium during the regular season. It was only fitting in Vegas that the season opener was a primetime matchup against former MVP QB Lamar Jackson. The Raiders had the nightcap of week 1 of NFL season and it did not disappoint one bit. Many things went on during this game that led to an extra ten minutes of play. A surprising constant was the play of the revamped Raiders defense led by Maxx Crosby and new coordinator Gus Bradley. Derek Carr started rusty but quickly showed why he is a clutch quarterback and perfect for this team. The scene in Vegas after the final score looked like the strip on a Friday night. 

A Defensive Revival

Heading into the off-season the biggest hole in this Raiders team was undoubtedly the defense and its lack of playmaking. The biggest move that was made was the hiring of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley from the Los Angeles Chargers. Yannick Ngakoue, Denzel Perryman, and KJ Wright are just a few of the newcomers who made huge plays on defense. The Raider’s defense had three sacks, seven QB hits, forced and recovered two fumbles on Lamar Jackson. Defensive end Maxx Crosby had two of those sacks and was chasing Jackson till the very end. Crosby is turning into one of the best young edge rushers in the NFL and is elevating every season. The combination of Crosby and Ngakoue gives the Raiders defense a duo like they haven’t had in a long time. If the defense can continue to make timely plays then a playoff chase could happen sooner than later. 

Carr on Go Mode

Derek Carr showed the league on primetime why he is a clutch quarterback and here to stay. Carr started slow missing Darren Waller on some passes he normally makes, but slowly gained his rhythm back. The Raiders looked bleak in the first half, but Carr turned up his play in the second half and overtime. He would finish with 435 passing yards, two touchdowns including the game-winner to Zay Jones with one interception. Carr threw two beautiful passes to Bryan Edwards that led to the game-tying kick for overtime. In overtime, Carr would throw a wild interception at the goal line, but would not hang his head at that moment. After getting the ball one more time, Carr wasted no time throwing for the game-winning touchdown to Jones. This performance showed why he is here to stay with Jon Gruden for years to come. 

Lights Camera Raiders

The scene in Las Vegas before and after the Raiders game looked like something out of a movie. Steve Aoki was the DJ, and Bruce Buffer was introducing the Raiders like he was at a UFC main event. Celebrities were at the Raider game decked out in silver and black as if it were a Lakers game. The Raiders are now the main attraction being located in Las Vegas, Nevada with a short drive to the strip. Big expectations will now hover this team being that it is in a big-time city and environment. Las Vegas carries so much weight already and especially now with a pro football team. Carr and company didn’t let the lights get too bright as they got their first win with fans in attendance. If the fans continue to show support as they did on Monday night, expect the opponents to be shell-shocked. 

Takeaways From Win

Following week one of the NFL season, the Raiders are 1-0 in their quest to make it back to the playoffs. The same questions that were asked during the off-season were answered from that thrilling finish on Monday. This Vegas Offense is still explosive with Carr under center behind a brand new offensive line. Carr is still very clutch in the 4th quarter of any game he has played with the silver and black. The defense made plays when they needed them the most with the addition of key free agents signed this off-season. Gus Bradley is making a huge impact so far even though it has only been one game. This Raiders team has a different energy to them from past teams that made mistakes over and over again. 2021 could be the season where the Raiders right their wrongs and shock the league by making the postseason.