Part of the reason why the Baltimore Ravens dropped the season opener last week is because quarterback Lamar Jackson was pressured 15 times, per Pro Football Focus. Jackson's completion percentage went down to 44.4 percent, compared to 68.8 percent when kept clean, and he fumbled while trying to do too much under pressure.
So, the Las Vegas Raiders' pass rush will be key to pulling off the upset in Week 2. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Raiders as an 8.5-point underdog and a +385 bet on the money line to win outright. In other words, Las Vegas is a heavy underdog and injuries at defensive end are likely part of the reason.
Malcolm Koonce was placed on injured reserve this week and Tyree Wilson missed his second consecutive practice on Thursday, via the team's injury report. Wilson suffered a knee injury last week against the Los Angeles Chargers which limited him to just six snaps. Also, head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that the 2023 No. 7 overall pick's status for Sunday is "not looking good".
Granted, the Raiders still have Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins to put pressure on Jackson. But being without Koonce and having to dig deep into the depht chart for supplemental pass rushers certainly isn't an ideal for a team that's more than a touchdown underdog. That makes the Ravens the better bet even if they have to win by at least two possessions.
Las Vegas did get some good news on Thursday's injury report, though. Center Andre James and offensive tackle Kolton Miller were upgraded from limited to full participants in practice. The full report from Thursday can be seen below.
Smith was limited on Wednesday, meaning his status got upgraded on Thursday's practice so it seems like he'll be playing this weekend. However, Van Noy, one of Baltimore's best returning pass rushers, broke an orbital bone last week and expressed some frustrations with the Chiefs' training staff in the video below.
A couple of other notes about the Ravens' report, Wiggins was not listed on Wednesday so his addition is new, and Jackson returned to the field after missing time on Monday.