Game Preview: The Raiders are eager for Week 1 matchup with Carolina Panthers

Sep 08, 2020 at 07:13 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders will commence their 2020 season by traveling to Carolina in Week 1 to take on the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The contest will mark the first game since 2016 that the Silver and Black have opened the season on the road against the NFC South, with the team's all-time record against the Panthers tied at three wins apiece. Head Coach Jon Gruden enters his seventh year with the Raiders as head coach, while General Manager Mike Mayock embarks upon his second in his role, as the two will lead the team into their first action of the 2020 campaign this coming Sunday, Sept. 13, for a 10:00 a.m. PT kickoff on CBS.

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The Setting
Date:	Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020
Kickoff:	10:00 a.m. PT
Site:	Bank of America Stadium (2004)
Capacity/Surface:	75,523/Voyager Bermuda Grass
Regular Season:	Series tied, 3-3

The Raiders wrapped up their training camp last week and first at their new facility in Henderson, Nev. Now, the inaugural season of the Las Vegas Raiders will begin with 18 players on the opening 53-man roster who were not on the active roster at any point during the 2019 campaign. The team is compiled of 19 draftees, 24 free agents, seven undrafted free agents, two players acquired via trade and one claimed off waivers.

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Broadcast Information (Television)
Network Provider:	CBS
Play-by-Play:	Greg Gumbel
Color Analyst:	Rich Gannon
Sideline:	Jay Feely
Producer:	Jonathan Segal
Director:	Mark Grant

Here are some notable connections between the two squads:

-Panthers LB Tahir Whitehead spent the last two seasons with the Raiders (2018-19), leading the Silver and Black in tackles in each of his seasons with the club.

-Panthers WR Seth Roberts originally entered the NFL with the Raiders in 2014, recording 158 receptions for 1,826 yards with 13 touchdowns in his five years with the club.

-Panthers quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Raiders in 2016 before being promoted to his first stint as a quarterbacks coach in 2017.

-Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow served under current Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli with the Detroit Lions from 2006-08, serving as linebackers coach and Head Coach, respectively.

-Raiders P AJ Cole was a four-year letterman at North Carolina State (2015-18), finishing his career ranked second in program history in punting yards (9,288) and third in punts (220).

-Raiders WR Zay Jones played four seasons at East Carolina (2013- 16), setting FBS, American Athletic Conference and ECU career (399) and single-season (158) records in receptions.

-Raiders CB Keisean Nixon played two years at South Carolina, appearing in 24 games with 12 starts and totaling 71 tackles (49 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, two INTs, nine passes defensed and one fumble.

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Broadcast Information (Radio)
Raiders Radio Network
Flagship:	KOMP 92.3 FM and KRLV "Raider Nation Radio 920 AM"
Play-by-Play:	Brent Musburger
Color Analyst:	Lincoln Kennedy

After traveling to Carolina to open up the season, the Raiders will return home to Las Vegas for their highly anticipated debut in Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 21 and will broadcast on ESPN.