Pats Pulpit
The last eight months have been among the busiest in recent New England Patriots history. The organization hired a new head coach for a second straight year, rebuilt its staff on both offense and defense, spent big in free agency, and added 11 new players in the NFL Draft.
Now, it is time to enjoy the fruit of all that labor. On Sunday, the Patriots will welcome to Las Vegas Raiders to Gillette Stadium for both teams’ 2025 regular season opener. Whether it will be a successful start to the season as well as Mike Vrabel’s tenure as head coach will be seen, but there are several factors pointing toward the home team coming away victoriously.
With that said, let’s find out who — in our humble estimation — has the edge in the game’s key areas.
Patriots pass offense vs. Raiders pass defense: The big question for the Patriots will be just how well their offensive line will hold up against a pass rush led by Maxx Crosby and drawn up by veteran coordinator Patrick Graham. If the group can limit the damage and give Drake Maye time and space to operate without having to bail from the pocket on a regular basis, New England should be able to move the ball against what is an inexperienced secondary and a linebacker group not necessarily at the top of the athletic food chain. That “if” is a big one, but one Josh McDaniels might be able to scheme around incorporated quick passes and play-action. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots pass defense vs. Raiders pass offense: New England might be without its best coverage player, Christian Gonzalez, but there are worse opponents to face without your CB1. The Raiders’ passing offense, after all, projects to be a work in progress even with coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterback Geno Smith coming aboard this offseason. The team is still lacking any proven contributors at the skill positions outside of old friend Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers. Both are capable receivers, make no mistake, but they alone won’t be able to carry the load for their offense against what should be a stingy pass defense even with Gonzalez potentially out. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots rushing offense vs. Raiders run defense: The aforementioned questions about the offensive line remain true in the running game, despite the Patriots fielding some nasty run blockers up front. However, they will be going up against a defense that did perform well in the running game a year ago and should again be able to win its fair share of battles. Will that be enough to win the war? Possibly, but New England should still come out on top when it comes to moving the ball on the ground. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots run defense vs. Raiders rushing offense: The Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft, and he was a needed addition: the team’s run game...
