REPORT: Where Do Raiders Rank Entering Week 2 Matchup?

The Las Vegas Raiders lost their Week 1 matchup to the Los Angeles Chargers. How did it effect where the pundits rank them?

Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders began their 2024 campaign with a loss to their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers. Their Week 2 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, looks to be one of the most formidable they will face all season.

The Raiders want to establish the run under head coach Antonio Pierce and maintain the physical edge against their opponents by utilizing punishing defense. An 0-1 start is not the end of the world, there are 16 games to be played.

But where does the media at-large rank the Raiders after the first week?

Sports Illustrated: No. 31

Conor Orr was not too kind to the Raiders, ranking them as the second-worst team in the league behind the Carolina Panthers.

"So begins Day 2 of the Antonio Pierce defend-the-punt tour," Orr wrote. "My take: Fourth down isn’t about analytics anymore. It’s about belief. Pierce earned the job because of his ability to turn a gruesome situation into a positive one. This takes back a bit of the progress. Of course, we can’t have this criticism both ways. A coach like Dan Campbell gets praised for his instance on fourth down attempts and Brandon Staley gets fried. What matters is that you convert. I would have liked to have seen Pierce try and convert before ultimately deciding whether to become more conservative or aggressive."

Fox Sports: No. 30

Fox Sports' David Helman's analysis was not much more favorable.

"We’ll see how long the vibes last now that Antonio Pierce isn’t an interim hire," Helman wrote. "The Raiders’ first-year coach drew plenty of criticism when he decided to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Chargers’ 43-yard line midway through the fourth quarter while training by six. That decision led to a 92-yard Chargers touchdown drive, effectively ending the game. Fair or not, these are the types of moments that form a coach’s reputation."

NFL.com: No. 30

The Raiders were originally No. 29, but dropped one spot after their Week 1 loss.

"I don't think the Raiders can play this passively and win many games," NFL.com's Eric Edholm wrote. "I'm not saying Pierce needs to go full Dan Campbell, but then again, what's wrong with going full Dan Campbell? Isn't Campbell sort of the archetype Pierce should be emulating? When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose. It can't hurt to take a bolder approach against a pent-up Ravens team and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore this Sunday."

33rd Team: No. 26

The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher was by far the most favorable of the bunch.

"The Las Vegas Raiders had a good chance to upset the Chargers in Week 1, but turnovers and sloppy play led to their defeat," Mosher wrote. "The most puzzling decision of the day was Antonio Pierce punting late in the fourth quarter from the Chargers' 43-yard line on 4th and 1.

"Pierce's decision was rough, as he clearly trusted his defense more than his offense. That can’t happen again if the Raiders want to have any chance of sneaking into the playoffs."

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