Based on recent NFL schedule release dates, Las Vegas Raiders fans may soon be able to plan which games on the Raiders schedule they’ll attend in the upcoming season.
Over the last few years, the league has released the full season schedule on the second Wednesday or Thursday in May, though ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio believes we may not see the full 272-game slate until next week.
Before the NFL makes its next big offseason announcement about the schedule, let’s project what we could see on the Raiders’ 18-week 2024 slate.
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Over or under 4.5 primetime games?
The NFL loves to showcase the top quarterbacks and matchups in which a star player faces his former team to build a buzz before marquee games.
The Raiders don’t have a star quarterback or one that appeals to the general public.
Las Vegas will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, welcoming Gardner Minshew’s former team to Allegiant Stadium, but that may not be captivating enough for a standalone game, especially because Aidan O’Connell could win the starting job.
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Say what you want about Jimmy Garoppolo’s short tenure in Las Vegas, but he played in a Super Bowl and in several primetime games with the San Francisco 49ers.
Without a household name at quarterback, the Raiders will likely play fewer games in the primetime slot than last year’s six matchups, including Thursday Night Football.
The Raiders’ standalone games will probably be against the Kansas City Chiefs, whom they beat on Christmas last year, an intriguing Los Angeles Chargers squad with head coach Jim Harbaugh, the New Orleans Saints in a Derek Carr-focused contest and the Pittsburgh Steelers, whom they’ve played in marquee matchups in the last two years.
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If the Raiders get a fifth standalone game, they could square off against top-tier teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals or Miami Dolphins.
- Projection: Under 4.5 primetime games
When will the Raiders bye week be?
In five of the last six years, the NFL has scheduled the Raiders for a bye week before Week 9, three of them in Week 6.
Last year, the Raiders had a Week 13 bye, which is an anomaly.
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Las Vegas can benefit from an early bye week, which will give the team extra time to iron out the wrinkles in its new offense under play-caller Luke Getsy.
Minshew may not need an early break as much as second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell though.
Typically, older teams may prefer a late-week bye to catch a second wind. Well-seasoned veterans on high-end teams have more time to recover from slow-healing injuries before the playoffs.
The Raiders have a relatively young team around Davante Adams, the only player on the roster who’s 30 years or older and slated to play a prominent role on offense or defense.
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John Jenkins (34) and Adam Butler (30) will likely be rotational players who have lesser roles than Christian Wilkins. Perhaps 2023 third-round defensive tackle Byron Young will eat into the veterans’ snap count with Tyree Wilson moving inside in sub-packages.
The Raiders should embrace an early bye to work through changes on the offensive side of the ball.
- Projection: Before Week 9
Raiders at Saints: Before or after Thanksgiving?
The Raiders and Derek Carr will downplay the revenge narrative, but expect the NFL to showcase this matchup in an early-season prime-time spot.
The Carr-Raiders storyline is rich with angles because of the way his tenure ended with the Silver and Black.
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The Raiders also fired current Saints head coach Dennis Allen in 2014 during Carr’s rookie year.
Lastly, the Raiders scored zero points in their previous trip to New Orleans in 2022 with Carr as their quarterback. Players who are still on the roster probably remember that as one of the team’s most embarrassing losses.
While the NFL can refresh our memories with all those storylines, it must be mindful that these teams didn’t make the playoffs last year and may miss the postseason this year.
The NFL may want this matchup in a prime-time slot in September or October before the possibility that either team’s season goes off the rails, which would hurt the appeal of the game for viewers who aren’t fans of either club.
- Projection: Before Thanksgiving
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
