Oakland Raiders 2015 Schedule: Predicting The Team’s Wins and Losses
By Kevin Saito
Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates after the Ravens
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens (2014 Record: 10-6)
Oakland’s second consecutive home game to open the season will bring the Baltimore Ravens to town. After getting into the playoffs at 10-6, and then beating the Steelers in Wild Card Round, the Ravens lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in the divisional round.
Though Baltimore has a long history of being able to reload their team with talent in the offseason, this has been a strange, and ultimately bad year for the club. The re-signing of Justin Forsett was about the high point of their offseason.
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Gone is reliable tight end Owen Daniel who joined his former HC coach, Gary Kubiak, in Denver. And there are still many questions about when/if Baltimore’s other premier tight end Dennis Pitta will return from another hip surgery – or what he’s going to look like if he does make it back to the field. Also gone is defensive stalwart Haloti Ngata, and pass rushing phenom Pernell McPhee. Gone also is the field stretching Torrey Smith, who was allowed to walk.
Though some of the old guard like Joe Flacco and Terrell Suggs remain, the cupboards in Baltimore look picked pretty clean at the moment. This is a team that for the first time in a long time, likely won’t be battling for the AFC North crown.
If the Raiders can bottle up Forsett, they should be able to shut down the Ravens offense altogether. As good as he is, at his age, Steve Smith can’t carry the entire offensive burden on his shoulders. With much of the fierce interior pressure the Ravens used to be able to exert gone, Latavius Murray, Trent Richardson, and Roy Helu might be carve up this Baltimore defense.
Prediction: WIN
Raiders 31; Baltimore 14
Record: 2-0
Next: Week Three: Cleveland Browns