Grading the Raiders' Statement Win Over the Patriots

John Breech of CBS Sports graded the performance of every team's performance on Sunday. Breech gave the Raiders a B+ for their win over the Patriots. He credited Smith with guiding the Raiders to an impressive Week 1 victory.

"It's only been one game, but the Raiders' decision to make a trade for Geno Smith is looking like a brilliant one. The new Raiders quarterback diced up the Patriots defense for 362 yards, including a perfect 26-yard scoring strike to Tre Tucker on Las Vegas' opening possession," Breech said.

"Smith had immediate chemistry with Brock Bowers (103 receiving yards) and Jakobi Meyers, who combined for 200 receiving yards. With this game, Pete Carroll became the oldest coach in NFL history and it's pretty clear that Father Time still hasn't figured out how to slow down Carroll." 

The Raiders' win was the a small part of the fruit of their labor this offseason. Las Vegas knew at the end of last season that they needed to make several changes if they want to compete this season. The Raiders made those moves swiftly and began working on improve their roster.

After improving their coaching staff and roster, the Raiders went to work and began improving on the field. The Raiders' new coaching staff implemented their way of doing things and quickly began changing everything the team did. Las Vegas' win was proof the changes have paid off.

Adding Smith may be the most underrated move any team made in the offseason, especially with the National Football League being such a quarterback-driven league. A third round pick possibly solved the Raiders' most pressing issue in recent memory.

Teams without quarterbacks struggle to win games in the NFL. In just their first game under Carroll and Smith's guidance, the Raiders have already shown the difference a competent starting quarterback can make. It is a long season, but the Raiders have reason to be cautiously optimistic.