Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us and the first week has some great matchups. One of my favourite games this weekend is the clash between the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans. This is a great clash between two young quarterbacks who I am convinced will dominate the game in years to come.
Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders has a bit more experience than his counterpart Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans, but this matchup is one that I feel Mariota can win. I think we will really see Mariota and the Titans breakout this season, I think they will win their division and make the playoffs after years of building a very impressive roster.
I think the addition of Eric Decker to the Titans roster this summer was a big one and they now have an experienced target for Mariota, to go along with the many youngsters they have. Their running game will again be key and with Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry, they have a great one-two punch that is going to cause a lot of defensive unit’s problems this season. I really expect to see the Titans run the ball a lot, but when they do decide to throw, Mariota has another pair of trusted hands in Decker.
Looking at the Raiders and their entire team focuses around Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, those two are going to be the face of this franchise for a number of years. The addition of Marshawn Lynch is very intriguing and I can’t wait to see what role they give him in their opening few games. He will want to impress after returning from retirement and he could turn out to be a great weapon for the Raiders.
This game should be a very good game to open the season, with many players on both sides of the field capable of making big plays and scoring points. I am sure we will see an open game, with many points, scored but I think it will be the Titans who eventually come out on top.
They have been building their roster for a while and this year is the time for them to break out. If they are to make the playoffs like I think they will then winning games like this one against the Raiders are a must and I am backing them to get off to a winning start.
