The Las Vegas Raiders head into their Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers with the chance to be the No. 1 team in the AFC West if they win. The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs lost in Week 2, so the AFC West is up for grabs.
The Chargers won’t be an easy opponent. They’re coming off a statement win over the Chiefs in Week 1 after making the playoffs last season. The Raiders are the underdogs in Week 2, but they are playing at home.
Las Vegas is also coming off a strong win of their own in Week 1 that many didn’t think they’d pull off. Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is liking what he’s seeing from the team and predicted them to beat the Chargers in Week 2.
“I like what the Chargers are. They are formidable. They are physical. They can run the football. But … it’s Pete Carroll’s birthday,” Gruden said in a video posted to social media. “You gotta get the attitude right in the locker room. Whatever you say about Pete Carroll, he gets the building feeling good. There’s a good vibe there right now. And I’m telling you, Geno Smith … is a lot better than people give him credit for.”
Smith Feeling Accepted by Raiders
Smith is a quarterback who has flown under the radar for much of his career. He was a second-round pick after a prolific college career, but didn’t get a chance to be a real starting quarterback until he was 32.
Even though Smith had some strong years with the Seattle Seahawks, he never felt like he was a great personality fit. He believes his personality is much more at home with the Raiders.
“Not my teammates, but I for sure felt like it rubbed people in the front office the wrong way because of the way I carry myself,” Smith told ESPN. “But that’s who I am. I mean, imagine Kobe Bryant. He spoke his mind about how he felt. Those are my idols. … Michael Jordan and guys like that, who were unapologetic about how bad they wanted to win.
“If it rubs somebody the wrong way, good. Those aren’t the people I want to go to war with. I want people who really go die about it because that’s how I am.”
Smith Comfortable Being Overlooked
Even with a solid Week 1 win against a New England Patriots team that a lot of people are high on, the Raiders still aren’t being talked about as much of a threat this season. The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 2002, so it’s hard to blame people for not taking them seriously.
However, this is a very different team with Smith under center and Carroll at the helm. Smith is happy to prove people wrong.
“I’ve kind of been nobody’s favorite player, but I thrive in that role,” Smith said. “I love being the hunter … the guy who is going out to hunt. If they overlook us, that’s fine. We might just surprise some people, but it won’t be a surprise to us.”
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