Week 1 of the 2018 regular season will be capped by a nationally televised Monday Night Football appearance by the Oakland Raiders, as the Silver and Black will take center stage against the Los Angeles Rams at home in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sept. 10 at 7:20 p.m. Monday Night's game will officially mark the anticipated return of Head Coach Jon Gruden to the sideline, as he and the Raiders will head into the regular season following a 3-1 finish to the preseason.
The Raiders wrapped up their preseason last Thursday with a road contest against the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which the Silver and Black won by a score of 30-19. WR Keon Hatcher cemented himself on the 53-man roster in the exhibition finale, as he paced all receivers with three TDs while tallying eight receptions for 128 yards. QB Derek Carr appeared in two preseason contests, completing 4-of-7 passes for 79 yards and earned a passer rating of 96.7. RB Jalen Richard hauled in 10 passes for 104 yards in limited preseason action. On the defensive side of the ball, the club racked up 14.0 total sacks, highlighted by LB Shilique Calhoun (2.0), DT Maurice Hurst (1.5) and DE Fadol Brown (1.5).
| The Setting | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Monday, September 10, 2018 |
| Kickoff: | 7:20 p.m. PT |
| Site: | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |
| Capacity/Surface: | 56,057/Overseeded Bermuda |
| Preseason: | Raiders lead, 12-8 |
| Regular Season: | Series tied, 8-5 |
| Postseason: | N/A |
The game will mark the first time in the series in which the Raiders will host the Rams for a Monday Night Football matchup, while also marking the first time the Raiders have commenced the regular season on primetime since 2012. This will be the first time the Silver and Black have opened the season against the Rams since 1979, when the Rams were still based in Los Angeles.
This year will also be the first time the club has opened the season at home since 2015, and just the third time overall since 2009. In seasons where the club has opened the season at home, the Raiders hold a 13-9 record, while they look to earn their first such victory since 2002, when the club defeated the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 31-17.
On Monday night in Oakland, Head Coach Jon Gruden will lead his squad into a season opener as a head coach for the 11th time overall and fifth time with the Raiders. Gruden owns a 4-6 overall record in season openers with the Oakland Raiders (2-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4). Gruden looks to win his third straight season opener as head coach of the Silver and Black, dating back to his final two seasons in Oakland (2000-01) during his previous stint with the club.
| Broadcast Information (Television) | |
|---|---|
| ESPN | |
| Play-by-play: | Joe Tessitore |
| Color Analyst: | Jason Witten |
| Sideline/Field: | Lisa Salters & Booger McFarland |
| Producer: | Jay Rothman |
| Director: | Chip Dean |
Here are some notable connections between the two teams:
• Head Coach Sean McVay began his NFL coaching career as an assistant wide receivers coach for Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay in 2008.
• Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson spent the 2017 season with the Rams as the quarterbacks coach. Olson also served as the team's offensive coordinator from 2006-07.
• Raiders director of football research Dave Razzano spent 15 seasons with the Rams, serving as a college/pro scout from 1992-2006.
• Raiders TE Jared Cook played three seasons with the St. Louis Rams from 2013-15, setting a career-high with five touchdown receptions in 2013.
• Raiders TE Derek Carrier spent the past season with the Rams, playing in 14 games with three starts and recording eight catches for 71 yards.
• Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel held the same position with the Raiders from 2008-11.
| Broadcast Information (Radio) | |
|---|---|
| National Radio | |
| Westwood One Sports | |
| Play-by-play: | Kevin Harlan |
| Color Analyst: | Kurt Warner |
| Sideline: | Scott Kaplan |
| Raiders Radio Network | |
| Flagship: | 740 KCBS |
| Play-by-play: | Brent Musburger |
| Color Analyst: | Lincoln Kennedy |
| Sideline: | Chris Townsend |
| Spanish Flagship: | La Z 1490-AM/107.5-FM |
| Play-by-play: | Fernando Arias |
| Color Analyst: | Ambrosio Rico |
Next week, the club will turnaround on a short week and travel to face the division-rival Denver Broncos for their first road contest of the 2018 season. It will mark the earliest matchup with Denver since 2012. The Raiders will then head to Miami to face the Dolphins for the second consecutive year before returning home to play the Cleveland Browns. The Rams will return home following Monday's contest for a three-game home slate to face the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings.
