The Raiders won seven games last season, an improvement over their four-win 2018 season, which was their first season under head coach Jon Gruden. They barely missed out on the playoffs last season and will try to put an end to their playoff drought this season, starting with a win over Carolina.

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Las Vegas wasn’t very good offensively last season, averaging 19.4 points per game. They added some weapons through free agency and the draft and should be better than they were last season.

Derek Carr threw for 4,054 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Josh Jacobs led the team in rushing in his rookie season, finishing with 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns, while tight end Darren Waller led the team in receiving with 1,145 yards and three touchdowns. Jacobs was the break out star of the offense last season and the Raiders hope that rookie WR Henry Ruggs might have a similar impact in 2020.

The Raiders struggled defensively, giving up 26.2 points per game. They played well at the end of the season giving up 17.6 points per game in their last three games and will need to play well on defense if they want to win this game.

Panthers Expect To Be Competitive
The Panthers finished last season with a 5-11 record, a disappointing finish to a season that started with high expectations. Quarterback Cam Newton dealt with injuries for the second consecutive season and was released by the team during the offseason, making way for Teddy Bridgewater, who was 5-0 in relief of Drew Brees in New Orleans last season. Former Baylor and Temple coach Matt Rhule takes over for Ron Rivera, who moved on to the Washington Football Team.

With Bridgewater under center, the Panthers feel they have a quarterback that’s good enough to lead them to the playoffs. However, the team does not have enough talent, especially on defense, to compete with the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

Carolina’s defense was one of the worst in the league last season, with the team giving up 29.4 points per game. All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly retired at the end of the season, leaving big holes to be filled. To address their defensive issues, the Panthers used all their draft picks to select defensive players, three of whom they believe will make an immediate impact on the team this season. Rhule’s key will be rebuilding the defensive line and it starts with the selection of big Derrick Brown along with DE Yetur Gross-Matos from Penn State in the second round.