Our offseason opponent breakdown series on theRams.com continues with us getting caught up on Los Angeles' Week 7 home opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders (Oct. 20, 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS).
The Rams' 2024 schedule release is presented by Confirmed360.
2023
Winning just three of their first eight games, the Raiders got off to a tough start. With a 3-5 overall record by that point, the Raiders parted ways with head coach Josh McDaniels on Nov. 1 and made linebackers coach Antonio Pierce the interim head coach for the remaining nine games.
Whatever Pierce brought to the position proved effective, as he led Las Vegas to a 5-4 record over the span. While it wasn't enough to get the Raiders to the playoffs, it helped Pierce get the head coaching job full-time in January.
Key changes
Besides moving on from McDaniels and installing Pierce as the permanent head coach, the Raiders also saw running back Josh Jacobs depart after his 1-year deal via the franchise tag expired. Jacobs later signed a 3-year deal with the Packers.
Las Vegas signed quarterback Gardner Minshew, who will compete with second-year pro Aidan O'Connell for the starting job, after releasing Jimmy Garoppolo on March 13. Garoppolo later signed with the Rams. The Raiders also signed former Vikings running back Alexander Mattison.
In the draft, Las Vegas used its first-round pick (13th overall) on tight end Brock Bowers.
Former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsey was hired to the same position for the Raiders. Las Vegas also hired longtime former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis as assistant head coach.
Head coach
Pierce enters his first season as the head coach of the Raiders (without the interim tag).
What to watch for
A different-looking Raiders offense
Between who will start at quarterback, the expected RB1 (Zamir White) and the addition of Bowers, this will be a Raiders offense that looks nothing like the one the Rams scrimmaged against in joint practices last summer.
Will it be Minshew or O'Connell guiding the offense? What will the rushing attack look like with White replacing Jacobs? How will Las Vegas use Bowers? All pertinent questions to the Rams' preparation that they should have a grasp of by this point.
