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Raiders Top Five Opponents by Position: Quarterback

As we travel around the league, previewing the top five players at every position the Raiders will face in 2020, we look at quarterbacks today.
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The NFL's most prestigious position in football is no other than the quarterback position.

As the Raiders report to training camp this summer, they will have in mind that they will be playing against five NFL season MVPs, three of whom have won a Super Bowl MVP.

It adds to what is already a challenging schedule ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

One task the coaching staff will have in training camp is finding players who will contribute to slowing these players down.

As we continue to cover the top five matchups by positions, we will be ranking the top five quarterbacks the Raiders will match-up against this season.

While there are a few rising quarterbacks this season, they still can't compare to what our top five quarterbacks have brought to the field.

Starting at No. 5 is the New England Patriots' new addition, Cam Newton. Newton's dual-threat ability may indeed keep defenders guessing. This former MVP might have been off his game for quite some time, but that doesn't mean Newton has lost his ability to play football. As he returns from a list of injuries, expect the Raiders' Week 3 match-up in New England to be something special under head coach Bill Belichick.

At No. 4, it's the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan. Ryan might have finished as the 15th-rated quarterback last season, but it still doesn't take away that he's been working with new offensive coordinators for the last couple of years. He has lost a few weapons on offense and played with an injured offensive line. No matter the circumstances, Ryan finds ways to air it out, as he ranked third in passing attempts with 616, and finished fifth in passing yards with 4,466 a year ago. Their Week 12 matchup in Atlanta will showcase if Ryan still has that MVP mentality.

The third best quarterback the Raiders will face this year is Tom Brady, but not as a Patriot. Brady switched teams for the first time in his career and arrived on a Buccaneers team loaded with weapons and offensive-minded head coach Bruce Arians. Brady also brings in old teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski, to the mix. The Bucs will welcome beloved Raiders head coach Jon Gruden on Week 7.

At No. 2 is the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. Brees sits behind one of the best offensive lines in football and has an arsenal weapon at receiver, Michael Thomas. Brees might have finished the 2019 season ranked 26th in passing yards, but he did rank fifth in passing touchdowns. According to PFF, Brees graded a 90.6, second-best offensive grade for a quarterback, trailing Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. Without a doubt, Brees is one of the most prolific passers in the league; it will be a showdown as the Raiders host Brees in Week 2 in their home opener in Las Vegas.

At the top of our list as the Raiders toughest quarterback match-up this season is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. The returning Super Bowl champion will return his entire offensive weaponry from a year ago, who helped him finish as the 10th-leading passer with 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns, and tie for the third-highest offensive graded quarterback at 90.2, according to PFF. A member of Madden's 99 Club, Mahomes is considered a favorite for the NFL's MVP and favorite to win another Super Bowl. The Chiefs have to go through the Raiders twice a year, starting this season in Week 5 in Kansas City and later in Week 11 in Las Vegas. The Raiders hope they can slow Mahomes down with their upgraded defense and keep up with him as the Raiders added receiver depth on their roster. The Chiefs seem to be the biggest threat for the Raiders to make the playoffs, especially as the AFC West continues to get tougher year by year.

The Raiders will have a problematic slate as they face several future Hall of Famers and potentially five quarterbacks who will be in the postseason.

A few notable young quarterbacks that just missed the list are Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns and Sam Darnold of the New York Jets.

Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

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