Fresh off the hiring of one of the most coveted coordinators in football—Josh McDaniels—and a show-stealing free agency period that saw them acquire Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders were rewarded with fewer primetime games than the rest of the AFC West. While the Kansas City Chiefs, the L.A. Chargers, and the Denver Broncos all received five national TV titles, the Silver and Black only received four.
Chin up, Raider Nation. Let’s relish this slight from the schedule makers (though if we’re being honest, we’d be slighted if we had ten primetime showdowns). The docket features some tantalizing face-offs that should be great litmus tests for this team.
Let’s rank the Las Vegas Raiders’ primetime games…
No. 4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14 in Pittsburgh
The intrigue of this matchup lies in the weather more so than the game itself. We all know the well-earned knock against Derek Carr is playing in cold weather games. This may be the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, but the Raiders’ beating of the Steelers is becoming old hat.
Cold weather or not, Las Vegas should deliver a lovely Christmas present to the Nation.
No. 3 – New England Patriots
Week 15 in Las Vegas
If not for the Raiders, the Patriots wouldn’t have the dynasty they have today.
Is that factual? Maybe not, but you can’t prove me to be incorrect. Suck it. This may sound crazy, but I don’t think the Patriots offense will be much of a threat to teams this season. By the time this match rolls around, the Raiders should be rolling and the Pats should be falling over themselves in search of the offseason.
Beating their heads in while the national television audience watches will be therapeutic, though.
No. 2 – Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5 in Kansas City
The Raiders will face the entire division before their Week 6 bye, with the vaunted Chiefs waiting in Arrowhead to cap things off. This test should be welcomed for a few reasons; we should know exactly who the Raiders are by the time the whistle sounds on October 10th, and they get to avoid a trip to KC late in the year where they’ve struggled mightily.
Can McDaniels finish off a tough start to the season by beating the best coach in the West right now?
No. 1 – Los Angeles Rams
Week 14 in Los Angeles
The beauty of playing in the NFC West this year is the baked-in bonus home game on the docket. The defending Super Bowl champs are used to being visitors in their own stadium, but this is going to be a special Thursday night.
This will in no way be an automatic W for Derek and the Bible Bosses. The Rams continue to navigate the NFL pay scale as if they have found the salary cap off switch. Expect a knockdown, drag out affair between two teams that more than likely will not be operating on all cylinders-the drawback of Thursday games-but no one wants to hear excuses.
Just Win, Baby!
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*Top Photo: Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal