Raiders Eye Panthers as Opportunity to Fix Flaws After Comeback Win

The Las Vegas Raiders now stand at 1-1 after a thrilling comeback win on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, led by interim head coach Antonio Pierce. After a challenging start to the season, the Raiders’ schedule is about to get slightly easier.

Their next opponent is the struggling Carolina Panthers, who have been outscored 73-13 in their first two games. Things have gone so poorly for the Panthers that rookie quarterback Bryce Young has already been benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, who will face a revamped Raiders defense.

Pierce isn’t losing sleep over the Panthers, though. Rather than focusing on the upcoming matchup, he’s more concerned with fixing the Raiders’ own issues. His casual dismissal of Carolina highlights just how far the Panthers have fallen.

“We got the win yesterday, but there were a lot of ugly moments in the first quarter, first half, and third quarter,” Pierce said. “We’re not worried about the Panthers. We’ve got to fix the Raiders.” That’s a harsh reality for Panthers fans to hear.

It’s unusual to call a game a “get-right” opportunity for a team coming off a major upset, but the Raiders could use the Panthers to address some of their weaknesses, particularly in the running game. With Carolina’s defensive tackle Derrick Brown out for the season and their depth thin, this could be a chance for running backs Zamir White and Alexander Mattison to shine. Whether this is a smart strategy or another tough outing for the Raiders on the ground remains to be seen.

Although Dalton is a more experienced quarterback than Young, the Raiders’ defensive line has the potential to cause trouble for a Panthers offensive line that, while improved, is still fairly average compared to the rest of the league. This could be a breakout game for the Raiders’ defense.

In the NFL, no game is guaranteed, and an upset can happen if a team doesn’t take the opposition seriously. However, the Raiders are brimming with confidence right now, and if they were to lose to Carolina, it would be a huge surprise. Pierce seems to have his team in a strong mindset after two games.