The Las Vegas Raiders had a tough test in Week 1 as they had to fly across the country to take on the New England Patriots.
The Raiders were underdogs entering the game, but they didn't play like they were. The Raiders outgained the Patriots on the day and, even with so many new players, the Raiders looked like a veteran team.
That's not to say it was a perfect performance by any means. Rookie sensation Ashton Jeanty did not have a good game, finishing with just 38 yards on 19 carries. The offensive line didn't play well either, allowing four sacks and failing to pave the way for Jeanty.
On defense, the team did a solid job holding the Patriots to 13 points and making the run game a non-factor. Drake Maye was able to make some big throws, and Kayshon Boutte in particular hurt the Raiders, but WR1 Stefon Diggs was held in check.
It's only Week 1, but that won't stop the overreactions. Now, let's tackle a few of those and explain why they are unfounded.
Ashton Jeanty is a bust!
It's easy to look at this box score and be disappointed with Jeanty's performance. The running back also didn't look great in the preseason, and NFL fans aren't exactly patient, so there's going to be some early bust chatter.
Jeanty rushed 19 times for 38 yards and one score, which averages out to just 2.0 yards per carry. That's obviously a putrid mark, but it was Jeanty's first real NFL game, and it's silly to think he won't improve.
Additionally, the offensive line wasn't doing him any favors. It's hard to get any positive momentum when you're being hit behind the line of scrimmage. Also, Mike Vrabel is the head coach of the Patriots, and Vrabel defenses are notoriously tough against the run.
Jeanty will be fine. There are worse run defenses than the Patriots, and it's silly to expect a perfect performance in a debut.
The Raiders have an elite defense!
It's okay to be pleasantly surprised and excited about the Raiders' defensive performance in Week 1, but let's not get carried away.
The team only allowed 13 points, but they still allowed 336 total yards. The run defense is much more promising than the secondary, as the Raiders allowed just 60 rushing yards. The secondary held Stefon Diggs in check, but backup receiver Kayshon Boutte had one of the best games of his NFL career.
It was also encouraging to see the Raiders pick up four sacks, but the Raiders had four new starters on the line, so again, it's unclear how impressive that really is.
It's probably not an overreaction to say this could be a good defense, but it's nowhere near time to call it elite. The Patriots aren't exactly the most elite offense in the league, and the Raiders will soon have much tougher tests.
This offensive line is horrible!
Look, it wasn't a banner day for the Raiders' offensive line by any means. The group utterly failed at run blocking and allowed four sacks and a whopping 10 tackles for loss.
However, as mentioned earlier, this is a Vrabel defense we're talking about. If there's one thing Vrabel teams almost always do, it's dominate in the trenches. The Patriots have a stellar defensive line that features Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Khyiris Tonga. This would have been a tough test for any offensive line.
I'm not convinced the Raiders have a good line, but I'm not ready to suggest it's horrible just yet.