Raiders face big challenge
Chargers look to knock off division rival
For a franchise that has made the playoffs only once over the last two decades, the Las Vegas Raiders sure are getting a lot of prime attention this young NFL season.
We saw Las Vegas beat Baltimore in the first Monday Night Football game in an overtime thriller, followed by a statement win at Pittsburgh, then another overtime win at home last week against Miami.
So the Raiders are 3-0 heading into this week's Monday Night Football game, at Los Angeles against the division-rival Chargers (8:15 p.m. EDT, TSN via ESPN).
The winner will sit no worse than second place in the AFC West, either behind or alongside the Denver Broncos.
It used to be that the Raiders — in their '70s and '80s heyday — were a sure bet to win any Monday night game. That the Chargers (2-1) are favoured over the Raiders in this one is not only no surprise, it's deserved.
Of all the young quarterbacks in the league, the only one who consistently glistens every game is the second-year standout for the Chargers: Justin Herbert.
If he's not on your list of top 10 NFL quarterbacks already, get your eraser out and make room. Herbert is that good.
The Raiders this year, though, are fielding one of the most dangerous pass-rushing tandems in defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue.
“When you've got two ends like that playing, you know you can do a lot of things,” Herbert said. “It changes the way the offence has to play, so we have to have a solid protection plan (to) have a chance to win on Monday.”
Of course, the Raiders counter at quarterback with Derek Carr, who is off to the best start of his career.
On Friday, he was named the AFC'S offensive player of the month for September. Carr entered Week 4 leading the NFL with 1,204 passing yards.
Can Carr shine again on Monday night? He might have to for Las Vegas to outscore this humming Los Angeles offence.
After this game, we'll soon see even more of the Raiders in marquee time slots — on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 14 versus the Kansas City Chiefs, and in the late-afternoon slot on U.S. Thanksgiving against the Cowboys in Dallas.