Justin Lum
*Silver & Black Productions *
The NFL clock is ticking down to opening day. For the Oakland Raiders, it is 100 days until kickoff. The World's Team will be the most traveled in the league with a trip to London to host the Miami Dolphins, leaving seven games to play at O.co Coliseum.
September 14: Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans
In Week 2, the home opener at O.co presents intriguing story lines as the Raiders and Texans meet for the ninth time since 2004. Quarterback Matt Schaub and defensive tackle Antonio Smith will be on the opposite sideline against their former team and won't need extra motivation for this game. On the flip side, former Raiders punter Shane Lechler returns to Oakland in a Texans uniform. On the defensive side of the ball, which rookie will make a bigger impact? Raider Nation will witness the regular season home debut of Khalil Mack who was NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock's No. 1 prospect going into the draft. Houston's first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney was ranked No. 2 on Mayock's list.
October 12: Oakland Raiders vs San Diego Chargers
In front of a sold-out Coliseum at approximately 8:35 p.m. (latest kickoff time in NFL history), the Raiders unplugged the Chargers in a 27-17 win. One year later, Dennis Allen and San Diego head coach Mike McCoy will meet for the third time, splitting two games since coaching together back in their Denver days. This will be the first divisional game of 2014 for the Raiders as they battle for the AFC West crown.
October 19: Oakland Raiders vs Arizona Cardinals
Former Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer leads the Cardinals into the Black Hole for a cross-conference matchup. Defensive end Justin Tuck will be the key to bringing Palmer to the ground but has to go through former Raiders offensive tackle Jared Veldheer. Outside the numbers, Oakland's improved receiving corps will go up against one of the NFL's elite cornerbacks in Patrick Peterson.
November 9: Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos
Could this be Peyton Manning's last game in the Coliseum? The Raiders revamped defense must pressure the 38-year-old QB to help snap a five-game losing streak to the defending AFC West champs. It will be a special sight to watch the chess match between Charles Woodson and Manning as both 17-year vets were drafted in the top 5 of the 1998 NFL Draft.
November 20: Oakland Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
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A historic rivalry will be on primetime display as the Chiefs visit Oakland for Thursday Night Football. Check out these stats to see just how tough these two storied franchises play each other.
Raiders overall record vs Chiefs: 50-55-2
Raiders at home vs Chiefs: 26-26-1
Raiders on the road vs Chiefs: 24–29-1
Raiders vs Chiefs (2010s): 5-3
December 7: Oakland Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers #BattleOfTheBay
Silver & Black versus Red & Gold has returned to the Coliseum. The Raiders and 49ers will go head to head for the 13th time in NFL history with the series knotted up at 6-6. Defensive backs Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers get a chance to face their former squad while teaming up with DJ Hayden against receivers like Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, and Stevie Johnson. This will also be the first time 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh steps onto Oakland ground since he was a Raiders offensive assistant from 2002-2003.
December 21: Oakland Raiders vs Buffalo Bills
The last home game of 2014 will feature a classic AFL rivalry between the Raiders and Bills with the series tied 19-19. The last time these two teams faced off was in 2011 when Denarius Moore lit the secondary up for 5 catches, 146 yards, and a touchdown as a rookie in the 38-35 loss. One rookie wideout that defensive coordinator Jason Tarver will have his secondary look out for is first-round pick Sammy Watkins.
