Raiders and Titans is an intriguing matchup

The Raiders and Titans face off in the first game of the season in a matchup that will show us what both teams are made of. The Raiders may have been overrated last season, but we have no way of knowing. The Titans are supposed to be much better this season with Mariota and that offensive line. Which team will prevail? There are a few factors to consider.

Derek Carr was groomed to be great

David Carr is Derek's older brother, and he is so much older that he had time to groom Derek to be an NFL quarterback. Derek has learned from every mistake that his brother made, and that is part of what makes him so great. The game will begin with Carr coming out slinging the ball all over the field, and The Raiders will probably feature Marshawn Lynch. They can impose their will on the Titans, and they can score so many times that Mariota will not be able to keep up even if he wants to. Consider for a moment how much more experience Derek Carr has when you factor in his brother.

That experience matters.

Mariota is improved

The offensive line and Marcus Mariota in Tennessee are very good, and they will have many chances to score themselves. The Raiders have upgraded their defense, but no one said that they were perfect. The Raiders will give up a few scores, but the offense will be so much better that Tennessee cannot get into a shootout. This game will end with a score of something like 42-20 because the Titans would run out of gas while Amri Cooper is still catching touchdown passes.

Khalil Mack

Khalil Mack will cause problems for the Tennessee offense all day, and he will likely cause Marcus Mariota a lot of pain. Mack is one of the best defensive players in the league, and he will make the Titans miserable in the backfield.

They may need to switch to a passing offense that is very heavy on reading the defense, and Mariota will have to get rid of the ball fast enough to not be sacked multiple times. One person can make a big difference on a defense, and the Raiders must be so pleased to have Mack on their side.

Waiting for the Chiefs

The Raiders must be waiting on the Chiefs at this point because the Chiefs have already started their season so well. Kansas City proved against New England that they have what it takes to win the AFC West, and the Raiders must take the division from them in two brutal regular season games. This is going to be a great matchup to watch, and it may be a matchup that will send a team to meet the Patriots in the AFC title game.