Raiders-Panthers preview: QB change provides Week 3 intrigue
The Raiders (1-1) pulled off the biggest stunner of Week 2 of the NFL season when they went into Baltimore and beat the Ravens. Now they will look to avoid the upset bug themselves when they host the lowly Panthers (0-2) in their home opener Sunday.
Game information
■ Who: Panthers at Raiders
■ When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday
■ Where: Allegiant Stadium
■ TV: CBS (Spero Dedes, play-by-play; Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala, analysts)
■ Radio: KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3) (Jason Horowitz, play-by-play; Lincoln Kennedy, analyst)
■ Line: Raiders -6, total 40
Series history
The Raiders have won the last two meetings to take a 4-3 lead in the series.
They didn’t play their first game against Carolina until 1997, two years after the franchise joined the NFL. The Panthers won that matchup 38-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Carolina is visiting Allegiant Stadium for the first time Sunday.
Last meeting
Sept. 13, 2020 — Josh Jacobs ran for his third touchdown with 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Raiders to a 34-30 season-opening road victory.
Jacobs finished with 93 rushing yards in addition to his three scores. Fellow star running back Christian McCaffrey had 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground for the Panthers.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden compared Jacobs to Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton after the game.
Quarterback Derek Carr had an efficient day in the win, passing for 239 yards and a touchdown. Counterpart Teddy Bridgewater threw for 269 yards and gave Carolina a 30-27 lead with a 75-yard touchdown pass with 8:29 to play.
Jacobs answered the Raiders’ next possession to spoil Panthers coach Matt Rhule’s debut.
Bold predictions
1. Quarterback Andy Dalton will throw for at least 245 yards for the Panthers. That’s how many passing yards 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had in Carolina’s first two games.
2. Quarterback Gardner Minshew, who has been sacked nine times in the Raiders’ first two games, will not be sacked Sunday.
3. Running back Zamir White, who has not had a run of more than 12 yards this season, will break off a carry that gains at least 15 yards in the first quarter. He will also get more than 20 carries in the game.
Storyline
The Raiders will take the field for their home opener feeling good about themselves after last week’s comeback win in Baltimore.
The victory gave the team a split in its first two road games, allowing it to turn its attention to a winnable slate of matchups over the next month.
That favorable stretch starts Sunday against a Panthers team that has to be considered the worst in the NFL so far. Carolina already benched Young in favor of a 36-year-old journeyman in Dalton.
That means the pressure is on the Raiders to get to 2-1. A loss would wipe out the good work they did last week to get their season back on track.
When the Panthers have the ball
Dalton isn’t exactly an All-Pro at this stage of his career, but he should be able to breathe some life into the Panthers’ offense. Young looked overwhelmed in Carolina’s first two games.
The challenge for the Raiders is predicting how different the Panthers’ attack will look Sunday. Dalton should be able to take advantage of weapons like wide receiver Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette in the passing game. Carolina’s running game could also look much better than it did the first two weeks if Dalton keeps the team from falling into an early hole.
The Panthers should favor the right side when they run, as center Austin Corbett, right guard Robert Hunt and right tackle Taylor Moton are off to strong starts.
When the Raiders have the ball
The Raiders’ comeback against the Ravens started when they all but abandoned their run game and started throwing on almost every down.
Still, that’s not the identity coach Antonio Pierce wants for his team. He and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy want to get the Raiders’ rushing attack rolling. They should get a chance to do so against Carolina.
The Panthers have allowed 199.5 rushing yards per game through two weeks, the second most in the NFL. A key reason for that is the loss of defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team’s opener against the Saints. Brown set a record for tackles by a defensive lineman last year with 103.
His absence should make life easier for a struggling Raiders offensive line. Expect White to get the ball early and often, which could help open up the team’s play-action passing game.
Injury report
Raiders: OUT: OLB Divine Deablo (oblique/concussion). DOUBTFUL: CB Decamerion Richardson (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: DE Maxx Crosby (ankle), DT Christian Wilkins (knee), DE Tyree Wilson (knee). FULL: MLB Tommy Eichenberg (knee), LT Kolton Miller (shoulder), RG Dylan Parham (foot), S Chris Smith II (knee), DE Janarius Robinson (hand).
Panthers: DOUBTFUL: DT Shy Tuttle (foot). QUESTIONABLE: S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (thigh), DE A’Shawn Robinson (knee), S Nick Scott (neck). LIMITED: TE Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back). FULL: OLB Jadeveon Clowney (not injury related, rest), TE Feleipe Franks (not injury related, personal), RG Robert Hunt (shoulder), LG Damien Lewis (groin), RT Taylor Moton (not injury related, rest).
The pick
Raiders 27, Panthers 10
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.