By Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed
May 16, 2024
Who were the biggest winners and losers of the NFL schedule release? Jeff Howe has you covered.
Apparently, the national public is over the whole Antonio Pierce thing. And the lovely, shiny Allegiant Stadium? Old news.
The biggest surprise with this year’s schedule release is that the Las Vegas Raiders only have two spotlight games, down from five in 2023 and 2021, and four in 2022. The Raiders travel to Kansas City for a Black Friday game against the Chiefs in Week 13, and then host the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football” two weeks later. Even that Monday night game comes during one of the league’s Monday doubleheaders, with the Raiders kicking off 30 minutes after the Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears.
No gimmicks. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/douAkUnZwH
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 16, 2024
The Raiders are trying to pick up where they left off last season when they won three out of four under Pierce to finish 8-9. But it won’t be easy as the Raiders open on the road the first two weeks at the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens before playing their home opener Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers.
Raiders 2024 schedule
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sept. 8 | at Chargers | 4:05 p.m. |
2 | Sept. 15 | at Ravens | 1 p.m. |
3 | Sept. 22 | Panthers | 4:05 p.m. |
4 | Sept. 29 | 4:25 p.m. | |
5 | Oct. 6 | at Broncos | 4:05 p.m. |
6 | Oct. 13 | 4:05 p.m. | |
7 | Oct. 20 | at Rams | 4:05 p.m. |
8 | Oct. 27 | 4:25 p.m. | |
9 | Nov. 3 | at Bengals | 1 p.m. |
10 | BYE | ||
11 | Nov. 17 | at Dolphins | 1 p.m. |
12 | Nov. 24 | Broncos | 4:05 p.m. |
13 | Nov. 29 | at Chiefs | 3 p.m. |
14 | Dec. 8 | at Buccaneers | 1 p.m. |
15 | Dec. 16 | 8:30 p.m. | |
16 | Dec. 22 | 4:25 p.m. | |
17 | Dec. 29 | at Saints | 1 p.m. |
18 | TBD | TBD |
Week 1 keys to victory
The last time the Raiders played the Chargers, Los Angeles laid down like dogs as the Raiders put up 63 points. That performance cost coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco their jobs the next morning. But Telesco is back as the Raiders’ general manager, as owner Mark Davis decided he really wanted someone with experience this time. As always in this matchup, the Raiders must contain quarterback Justin Herbert and pass rusher Khalil Mack, and the first one will be a little easier with receiver Keenan Allen now on the Bears. One interesting storyline is that the Raiders never considered Jim Harbaugh for their coaching vacancy due to Pierce’s success and hold on the locker room, and now they square off in Harbaugh’s debut.
Must-watch game: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Black Friday (Week 13)
First off, the Raiders should own Black Friday like the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions do Thanksgiving. And it should always be in Las Vegas (because the Black Hole in Oakland is no longer available). Last year, the Raiders ruined Christmas for Taylor Swift and her Chiefies, so a revenge holiday-esque meeting in Kansas City sounds pretty good. That was the last game the Chiefs lost last season before going on another Super Bowl run, and Kansas City fans probably haven’t forgotten Jack Jones’ glorious pick-six interception where he talked trash to Patrick Mahomes as he ran it in or how he offered the football to a kid in the stands before pulling it back. The Raiders scored two defensive TDs in that game, and their defense is even better now. Yeah, Maxx Crosby and company can’t wait for this one, either.
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Toughest stretch: Weeks 11-14
There aren’t any truly gruesome stretches like in previous years. Even the first two games being on the road isn’t that bad, considering how many Raiders fans come to Chargers games. So, we’ll go with the stretch after the bye week. The Raiders have three of four games on the road against playoff teams, traveling to Miami, Kansas City and Tampa Bay, with a home game against the Denver Broncos sandwiched in for Week 12. The Dolphins did get worse this past offseason and the Buccaneers don’t really scare anybody, so again, it’s not that bad.
Game that has gotten tougher: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 6
Games against the Steelers are always tough and ugly, but this one now has a revenge angle. Russell Wilson was interested in coming to Las Vegas after the Broncos pulled the plug on him, but the Raiders had no interest, opting instead to go with Gardner Minshew II (and Aidan O’Connell, if he beats out the free-agent signee). Were the Raiders right? Or will Wilson show that they made a big mistake? Will Ciara perform at halftime?
Will Russell Wilson have revenge on his mind after the Raiders showed no interest in signing him after the Broncos cut him? (Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
One game the Raiders can’t afford to lose: vs. Carolina Panthers, Week 3
The Panthers were the worst team in football last season and should still be among the league’s bottom feeders this year. The Raiders seem to have ugly losses against inferior opponents annually, but they can’t drop this one in the home opener against Carolina. If they do, chances are this will be a rough season.
Best offense the Raiders will face: Miami Dolphins (Week 11)
The Dolphins set the league on fire last season to the tune of 29.1 points (second) and 401.3 yards per game (first). They slowed down toward the end of the season and floundered in the playoffs, but their offense is still electric. The offensive line is so-so, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can put up big numbers, running backs Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright have explosive speed, the receiving trio of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham Jr. is elite and even old friend Alec Ingold is a useful piece as a fullback. The Raiders held the Dolphins to just 20 points in their matchup last season, so they’ve shown they can slow them down, but it remains the toughest task on their schedule.
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Best defense the Raiders will face: Kansas City Chiefs (Week 8 and 13)
While the Chiefs traded away star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed this offseason, they brought back most of their starters from what was a dominant unit last season. Kansas City allowed 17.3 points per game (second) and only gave up 4.7 yards per play (fifth) in 2023. They had one of the best pass rushes in the league, were decent against the run and had an excellent secondary. Steve Spagnuolo is arguably the NFL’s best defensive coordinator. The defending champions will at least have to deal with tight end Brock Bowers after the Raiders have had headaches trying to cover Travis Kelce all these years.
The Chiefs may have traded away L’Jarius Sneed, but their defense is still capable of giving Davante Adams and the Raiders fits. (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)
Predicted record: 8-9
The Raiders should have a good defense — that sentence still feels strange to type — but the big question mark is the offense. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy struggled in the same role with the Bears the last two seasons and has to prove he’s capable of putting together a productive offense. Whether Minshew or O’Connell wins the starting job, it’s hard to feel great about the quarterback situation. The offensive line and pass catching unit appear stronger on paper and Zamir White looked like a lead running back toward the end of last season, but the uncertainty between Getsy and the quarterback is cause for pause. Unless Bowers has a breakout year, the offense just isn’t good enough for the Raiders to break into the playoffs.
Predicted AFC West finish: Second
1. Chiefs, 2. Raiders, 3. Chargers, 4. Broncos
There’s little reason to expect anything other than the Chiefs winning the division for the ninth straight season. At this point, the rest of the division is still playing catch-up. The Raiders should be better than the Chargers and Broncos, but they’re not ready to dethrone the Chiefs.
(Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)
