Raiders mailbag: Should expectations be reset after Week 1 loss?

The Raiders are in Baltimore this weekend looking to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole to begin the season.

It’s going to be difficult. The Raiders, following their 22-10 loss to the Chargers on Sept. 8, are facing a Ravens squad that reached the AFC title game last year.

The team’s start has raised plenty of questions. Here is a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:

Matt Berger (@matt_berger): Did anything in Week 1 reveal itself that has made you change your expectations for this team this season?

Vincent Bonsignore: Not necessarily.

The Raiders should win between seven and 10 games this year. They’ll need some things to go their way to reach the high end of that range, like solid quarterback play, few turnovers and strong performances on third down and in the red zone.

The Raiders didn’t get those things against the Chargers, so it’s no surprise they lost. That doesn’t mean they can’t improve in those areas starting Sunday against the Ravens.

No matter what, it’s clear the Raiders are working with a small margin for error this season.

Chronster (@ChronsterSRQ): Why aren’t we kicking the tires on trading for Joe Milton? It can’t be worse than what we have now?

Bonsignore: The Raiders understand they need to get better at quarterback. But that’s a battle for a different day. They’ll begin that search once the season ends.

As far as Milton goes, the Raiders passed on the former Tennessee quarterback multiple times before he was selected in the sixth round by the Patriots in April’s draft. They made their feelings clear then.

Sportsvids (@Magic02493580): Do the Raiders have a chance this week?

Bonsignore: The Raiders have a chance every time they step on the field. Their defense is good enough to keep them in games.

The team just can’t have too many blunders on third downs and in the red zone. It also can’t lose the turnover battle. Especially against a quarterback as dynamic as Lamar Jackson.

AZ_Raider75 (@AZRaider75): Do we have any info regarding this “illness” that Jackson Powers-Johnson has had for the last couple weeks? Looking like another in a long line of Raider high draft picks who (aren’t) ready to play in the regular season.

Bonsignore: Powers-Johnson, the Raiders’ second-round pick this year, showed up on the team’s injury report with an illness for the first time Sept. 5.

The left guard has been seen in the locker room since and practiced on a limited basis this week. He is clearly on the road to recovery.

Powers-Johnson, who also missed most of training camp with an undisclosed injury, has had some bad luck to start his career. But he still has plenty of time to make an impact with the Raiders this season.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.