Ladies and gentlemen, I come bearing good news. It concerns the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are 0-1, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, 27-21. Take that, Swifties.
Furthermore, the Raiders defeated the New England Patriots, 20-13. Double whammy for the Swifies everywhere. Raiders Nation reigns supreme for the first week!
However, not all things were bright and rosy. That’s especially true regarding the performance of certain offensive players. Fortunately, there are some takeaways for that in the first game of the 2025 season.
In fact, there are three takeaways here. What did Raider fans learn from watching Las Vegas defeat the Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday?
1.) Brock Bowers Did Brock Bowers Things
Let’s be honest. Expectations were high for the former Georgia tight end heading into 2025-26. He was expected to carry the Raiders’ offense as a big, athletic tight end. Additionally, he was supposed to build off his remarkable rookie campaign and become a force.
Well, it’s easy to see why fans believe in him so quickly. Sure, five catches for 103 yards seem pretty minute from a fantasy standpoint. Still, having more than 100 receiving yards today is big, especially since it helped Geno Smith out.
Furthermore, one can say this wasn’t his best day. Bowers had eight targets throughout the game, yet he had 103 receiving yards. That could be a fantastic omen for the Raiders’ offense in 2025.
2.) The Las Vegas Raiders Offensive Line Must Be Better
The Patriots don’t have much in terms of their front seven. However, that didn’t stop the unit from notching four sacks on Geno Smith. Additionally, the Raiders quarterback threw an interception in Sunday’s victory.
Partially, that falls on Smith for not making sound judgments. However, the offensive line can’t let a dismal performance happen again. Remember that the Kansas City Chiefs are still strong defensively and the Denver Broncos made significant upgrades defensively.
If the Raiders are serious about competing for the AFC West crown, they must block better. Otherwise, they’ll fall back to square one and wonder what they must fix to shoot atop the standings.
3.) Ashton Jeanty Gets His Feet Wet
Upon first glance, Jeanty might’ve had a modest day. 19 carries for 38 rushing yards and a touchdown won’t jump out to many people. However, fans must bear in mind that it’s his first regular season game.
Sometimes, it takes rookies some time to adjust to the NFL’s faster pace. That’s especially true for Jeanty here, for he’s used to running over linebackers and safeties at the college level.
Therefore, it should be expected that the running back gets some time to develop. Additionally, that falls on the offensive line not creating the necessary holes for long runs. Rome wasn’t built in a day and that applies here.
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