Ravens vs. Raiders: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 1
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for their Week 1 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders this Monday.
The Ravens will help kick off the 2021 season on Monday Night Football, under the lights at Allegiant Stadium. With a national audience watching, the Ravens can ill-afford a letdown.
It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for this organization. Injuries have plagued a team that looked to have one of the deepest rosters just a few short weeks ago.
There’s still plenty of depth to be found, but the injuries have certainly taken their toll.
Within a span of two weeks, the Ravens’ running back room looks almost unrecognizable from the one they had before the injury bug struck.
The Ravens had five running backs on their active roster this summer. Three of them are on injured reserve, one was claimed off waivers, and the lone remaining player is a former undrafted free agent who has never played in an NFL game.
This isn’t to mention the loss of star cornerback Marcus Peters, linebacker L.J. Fort, or players like Rashod Bateman and Nick Boyle landing on the short-term IR.
The Ravens are reeling going into Week 1, but at least on paper, they should still be talented enough to handle this Raiders team.
Let’s take a look at three important matchups to keep an eye on this week.