The Raiders did not play well in Week 1, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers. It wasn’t unexpected as the Raiders were 3.5 point underdogs going into the game. But that loss didn’t do a lot to help them in the eyes of the national media.
In a recent article by ESPN, they updated their power rankings after Week 1. The Raiders fell a bit, dropping from No. 13 to No. 17 after the loss to the Chargers.
One player that did perform well in the loss was rookie guard Dylan Parham, who did not allow a pressure on 35 snaps. Here is what senior NFL writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about his performance on Sunday.
“The third-round pick was a surprising starter at right guard in the Raiders’ season-opening loss at the Chargers. And while he was subbed out by Lester Cotton Sr., Parham did return as part of four different offensive line variations.
His 35 offensive snaps (60%) were the fifth most of any Raiders O-lineman in the game. And if center Andre James is unable to go Sunday against Arizona with a concussion, Parham will replace James and the workload will grow.”
The Raiders are still a good team despite the loss to the Chargers. Playing divisional opponents on the road in Week 1 is always tricky. Now, they’ll need to take care of business at home and defeat the Cardinals in Week 2 to avoid digging themselves too big of a hole early in the season.
