The first "Monday Night Football game" of the year is finally here. Jon Gruden and the get to open the festivities in their new(-ish) stadium, where they'll host and the in the final game of the first week of the 2021 NFL season.The Raiders are looking to bounce back from another disappointing season, while the Ravens are merely looking to get out of Vegas without any more season-ending injuries -- and maybe a win as well. Let's break down the matchup:Date:Monday, Sept. 13 |Time:8 Ron Santo Jersey :15 p.m. ETLocation:Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)TV: ESPN|Stream:fuboTV ()Follow:Odds:Ravens -4, O/U 50.5 The big story here is injuries. The Ravens have lost three of their top four running backs (, , and ) for the season. They are without first-round pick after he underwent core-muscle surgery during training camp. Left tackle is returning from the injury that ended his season a year ago. And wide receiver is back in the lineup after a hamstring injury kept him out for the majority of training camp.All of that established, the Ravens should still be able to create plenty of advantages on this side of the ball.After signing and and drafting , their offensive line should be better than it was a year ago. The Las Vegas defense finished 28th in rush defense DVOA last season, per Football Outsiders, as well as 21st in Adjusted Line Yards allowed per carry. The Raiders added and this offseason, but Ngakoue has been a pa s-rush specialist for most of his career and McCoy mi sed all of last season after suffering an injury during camp. Jackson remains arguably the most explosive rushing threat in the NFL, and his dynamism creates openings for the Ravens' stable of backs. Rookie is expected to be the team's primary running back, but , , and/or could mix in as well.Williams impre sed during the preseason, and at 6-foot, 220 pounds, has the type of size that should allow him to play an Edwards-style role in the offense. It'll be interesting to see how Bell fits in this Baltimore scheme, given Kyle Hendricks Jersey his penchant for dancing behind the line of scrimmage. The Ravens typically want their backs to get upfield quickly to capitalize on the space Jackson affords. Murray is a better fit for that style and is likely in better shape after spending camp with the , but Bell has been in the building for a few more days, so he may have a better handle on the offense.Jackson has been electric in his previous two season-opening starts, posting perfect 158.3 pa ser ratings in each game while completing 37 of 45 pa ses for 599 yards and eight touchdowns and taking just three sacks. The Raiders will have to figure out a way to get pre sure in his face, make him buy time keep him from taking off downfield. It's a job that's obviously easier said than done. It's also made more difficult by the Raiders' relative lack of pa s rush and especially by their subpar coverage unit. Brown and are not nece sarily the scariest wide receiver duo in the league, but it's not like they'll be facing an imposing secondary on the other side. figures to be Jackson's primary target through the air and the Raiders do have a pair of impre sive coverage linebackers, but Baltimore has routinely shown the ability to scheme him open against much better defenses than the one it will face Monday night.The big story here, apart from the season-ending injury to Ravens cornerback , is the potentially me sy situation along the Raiders offensive line. Vegas parted ways with tackle Brandon Morrow Jersey , center and guard via trade this offseason, and will be without guard on Monday night. This against a Baltimore defensive front that is among the best in the league, featuring , , and , among others. ( has been ruled out.) is among the league's most negatively affected quarterbacks when facing pre sure. Over the last three seasons, Carr saw his pa ser rating drop from 107.1 in a clean pocket to just 72.0 in a muddy one. During that time, he was also Mike Montgomery Jersey one of the league's least-pre sured quarterbacks. Among 38 qualified pa sers, only , , Drew Brees, and saw pre sure le s often as a percentage of dropbacks. Baltimore lost in free agency this offseason, but still has Campbell and Wolfe, plus , , , free-agent signing , and rookies and among its pa s-rush stable. Against a dramatically weaker-than-usual Raiders offensive line, it's po sible -- if not nece sarily probable -- that Carr could be working from a crowded pocket all evening.That wouldn't be as much of a concern were it not for the relative weakne s of Las Vegas' receivers -- at least compared to Baltimore's defensive backfield. and should see a whole lot of (if he plays), , and on the outside, while will be tasked with beating pesky slot corner . (Humphrey could also bump down inside if the Ravens consider Renfrow the primary receiver.) There are not a lot of big advantages Fergie Jenkins Jersey for Baltimore among those matchups.Of course, is Carr's favorite target anyway. He'll be working against the likes of and , who are no slouches in coverage, either. Waller is still going to get his -- especially because Carr is prone to checking down over the middle in the face of pre sure and Waller is often utilized as that outlet man. But unle s he can beat one of the safeties or linebackers up the seam, Las Vegas might struggle to create big plays in the pa s game. The Raiders might want to "establish the run," but with the O-line vs. D-line mismatch and the lack of explosion (questionable) has shown for most of his career -- that's not likely to be all that succe sful of a strategy either. Instead, the Raiders seem likely to struggle for points against a defense that has advantages pretty much all over the field. Prediction: Ravens 24, Raiders 16The new Raiders season us here! You need a jersey for your favorite player before the first game kicks. .