Raiders-Panthers preview: Five keys to a successful season opener

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock is a fond of a line he stole from Bill Parcells.

“Let’s not go anointing anyone yet.”

Coach Jon Gruden told the Carolina media he left all his predictions in the ESPN television booth.

The Raiders have made training camp at their new facility in Henderson, Nevada, as low key as possible, an environment which comings and goings were monitored by coronavirus protocols and media access was as restricted as ever for the same reason.

No big talk or grand proclamations.

Gruden played it safe when asked if this is the most confident he’s been since returning to the sideline in 2018.

“I haven’t seen my team yet,” Gruden said. “I haven’t seen anything. Haven’t seen a game. Haven’t seen really more than three or four live snaps of football. So, I’m confident. We’ve worked hard. I’m really proud of these guys, our coaches and players, but we’ve got a long way to go to make that assessment.”

We’ll have some answers starting Sunday when the Raiders visit the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C. with no fans in the stands and a new identity in tow with Las Vegas as their new home town.

At the risk of anointing anyone, the Raiders should win nine or 10 games, which would put them in playoff position depending on how it plays out. The champions of the NFL and AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs, aren’t on the schedule until Oct. 1. Getting to that point at 3-1 or better would go a long way toward establishing themselves as viable contenders.

That process begins against a Carolina team which is being rebuilt in every conceivable way, including a new quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, but does retain the services of the NFL’s most versatile and explosive back in Christian McCaffrey.

Five keys to starting the season 1-0 and being a playoff-caliber team:

1. Keep it simple

Avoid the urge to break out all the new bells and whistles in terms of the offense after no offseason and a condensed training camp.

Let quarterback Derek Carr pile up the completions and rely heavily on known commodities such as running back Josh Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.

That doesn’t mean rookie first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III can’t get loose on a fly sweep in a bit of misdirection, and it’d be worth throwing one up to third-round pick Bryan Edwards to get a glimpse of his jump-and-catch skills.

Go ahead and put the foot on the gas to test out the Ferrari, but for the most part it’s better to obey traffic laws and rely on superior talent with a background in the system.

On defense, the Raiders have upgraded in terms of speed and athleticism on all three levels. Rely on winning individual battles rather than complicated scheme.

2. Rally to Christian McCaffrey

The Raiders signed linebacker Cory Littleton with Christian McCaffrey in mind, but an adept offensive coordinator can get his centerpiece away from a specific defender much of the time.

So it’s time for the Raiders to show off all that newfound skill defensively and most importantly, do it with enthusiasm and aggression. Get enough people to the ball that if one player misses a tackle, which is sure to happen against McCaffrey, another defender is arriving in short order to clean up.

Expect McCaffrey to get 25 to 30 touches rushing and receiving. Keep the runs at 4.0 yards per carry or less and the receptions under 8.0 and make McCaffrey work for every yard.

3. Let the big dogs eat

Carolina drafted Derrick Brown in the first round to pair with Kawann Short at defensive tackle. Left end Brian Burns was an impressive rookie pass rusher with 7 1/2 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Right end Yatur Gross-Matos is a second-round draft pick.

The Raiders interior of guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and center Rodney Hudson will deal with Brown and Short. On the outside, Trent Brown has more than 100 pounds on Burns and Miller a good 40-plus pounds on Gross-Matos.

If this is truly one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, it should show up Week 1 with a big day for Jacobs. For all Jacobs did last season in gaining 1,150 yards, he was playing with a broken bone in his shoulder since October and had to be monitored in terms of practice time the rest of the season before finally shutting it down.

Jacobs is healthy now, and ready to run behind an offensive line that should be a decisive matchup in favor of the Raiders.

4. Get those hands up

Bridgewater replaces Cam Newton at quarterback for the Panthers. He’s not a big-time downfield thrower and will look to get the ball out of his hands to McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore and former Raider Seth Roberts.

It’s up to Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette and Lamarcus Joyner to stop those short passes with sure tackling and prevent yards after catch.

The Raiders defensive line, pushing from inside and outside, can give Raiders defensive backs opportunities at interceptions with getting their hands up and deflecting passes. That goes for Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell as well as Maliek Collins in the middle. But keep an eye on 6-foot-7 Carl Nassib, a stork-like presence that ideally will be likened to Ted Hendricks in that regard.

Ferrell (2018) and Nassib (2015) by the way, were both Hendricks Award winners as the best defensive end in college football.

5. Minimize wasted opportunities

The Raiders were “horrific” in goal to go situations a year ago and for the most part the same could be said of their red zone opportunities.

There’s no excuse for it, either. Not with a powerful offensive line, a tackle-breaking back like Jacobs, an accurate thrower in Carr and and tight ends galore in Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier and now future Hall of Famer Jason Witten.

Punching the ball in a few times against Carolina can in theory get the Raiders on the right track in terms of a scoring mentality.

Without it, Year 1 in Las Vegas will be like the better part of the last quarter-century.

On the outside, looking in.