NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport has his thoughts on the game:
Week 1 primer:
» Ranking games in order of intrigue
Why this game is intriguing: This one features the two AFC West teams nobody seems very interested in. They aren't Manning and the Broncos. And they aren't everyone's sleeper pick, the Chiefs. These are just two teams trying to emerge from the depths of mediocrity to regain their once-proud status. Is that melodramatic enough? Two teams trying to win again.
What to watch: You could do worse than watching Darren McFadden run the heck out of the football for the Raiders. When he's healthy -- and he is at the moment -- there are few players more exciting. The Chargers, on the other hand, had a rough offseason, complete with injuries and more injuries. Ryan Mathews had a stellar, sunshine-filled offseason showing ... right until his first preseason carry, when he broke his clavicle. Follow that up with Vincent Brown, San Diego's impressive second-year receiver, breaking his ankle, and you begin to ponder the obvious: Can Philip Rivers do it all by himself?