Patriots Pregame Thread 2025 Raiders @ Patriots - Early thoughts

[BobDigital]

We're on to the regular season! Or damn close. I don't know what other moves are coming, but now that we are about exactly 1 week away, is it time to turn our focus a bit more to the week 1 opponent? I wouldn't call this a pregame thread. Just a place people can talk about their early thoughts on this 1pm game on Sunday Sept 7.

My thoughts are this. Spoiler alert! The Patriots SHOULD beat this team. They are better than them. They just are. Here is why i believe that to be the case.

The Raiders defense didn't improve. If anything they likely got worse. This was a D that finished 25th in PPG and 15th in YPG. Maybe being tied for the 3/4 spot in turnovers given away in 2024 had something to do with that. But when you are usually behind you tend to make more mistakes to try to catch up. Were they complete trash on D last year? I don't think so. Subpar trending to bad. They had their moments at times too. But what did they do to improve it? Nothing stands out to me.

In Free Agency They lost Wilkins - DT, Moehrig - S, Hobbs - CB, Spillane - LB(to us), Deablo - LB, Chaisson - EDGE(to us). These are good to really good players. What did they gain? Chinn - S and Platt - LB... I guess Eric Stokes - CB and Elandon Robert - LB too? Those guys likely don't move the needle much though. Maybe they have some pleasant surprises, but it seems clear to me they lost way more than they gained here. And the players they gained are down grades as far as i can tell.

In the draft they picked 4 defensive players. A CB in the high rd 3, DTs in rd 4 and 6 and an LB in 7. They mostly went offense with their top picks in the draft... Also that 4th round pick was pick 135. So very late. No one i saw is stepping up in year 2 much.

If someone wants to correct me feel free, but on a surface level this D went from at best subpar last year to flat out bad this year. They had 1 defensive probowler last year in Maxx Crosby. He is clearly the star of this D and seems to mostly work on the right side. Oh and in 2023... Their D had 1 probowler as well. Maxx Crosby again. And he should have less guys on that front to take pressure off him this year. Slow him down and does this D have anything going for it? I don't know. They probably have some decent players in there. Koonce seems pretty good on the Edge. Outside of him IDK. But no others i know much about.

I know our offense isn't known for being prolific, but it should be able to do something vs this D after the multiple improvements.

On offense the Raiders improved. But let's be clear. This offense finished 29th in PPG and 27th in YPG. So that wasn't a big ask. However it could be a fairly substantial improvement.

Instead of doing this the same way, in this case it be faster to go position by position with so many changes and come back to overall thoughts.

QB - Out - Minshew, Pickett. In - Geno Smith. Should be an upgrade, but Geno isn't great. In Seattle the last 3 years he was surrounding by some good offensive players... but the overall points were never that impressive. Leading his team to 3 straight winning records is commendable for sure. It is always hard to win in the NFL. But it seems slightly fraudulent. Not to say he is bad. Just he is so very average. Maybe a hair subpar. Of course he will come into Oakland who will also have a good cast. He can lead his team to some points.

TE - Bowers. Nothing else to really say, we know he is beastly.

WR - Meyers. Jack Bech (pick 58). Tre Tucker maybe improves a bit more in year 3. And Maybe Dont'e Thornton (pick 108) could help out? Oh and they added Amari Cooper who should still have some good stuff in the tank.

RB - In - Ashton Jeanty (6) Mostert. Out - Mattison, Ameer Abdullah - Ameer, Massive upgrade clearly.

OL - In - Alex Cappa - G, Caleb Rodgers (98) - IOL, Charles Grant (99), Out - Whitehair G, Andres Peat - OT (not worth mentioning i suppose... But for completeness i will put them in); They also rightfully extended LT Miller. And last year they drafted Power-Johnson (44) - G and Delmar Glaze (77) - RT.

Overall their OL should look like this Miller-Dylan(last year of 4 yr rookie deal)-Jordan Meredith(RFA in 26 who elevated from the PS to starter over time)-Power-Johnson-Glaze.

Cappa, Grant and Rodgers for now are back ups it seems.. Overall this offensive line was pretty bad last year and they looked to the draft to address it. It doesn't seem like either pick will start. And Cappa not starting potentially? I have no idea what to make of it. I will need to look into this deeper. For now all i can say is this... it was bad last year and if no one they brought in is going to start this year i doubt it becomes top 10 all the sudden.. but maybe the 2 rooks on the right massively improved. No idea.

Everything else has been upgraded. It is hard to say how much it will help at this point. But Bech shouldn't set the world on fire week 1. They will have more options to pass too with Cooper, though he didn't get much time in the system so his snaps my be limited... a wrong route can be an Int. So how much will he play week 1? Jeanty can catch some too and Smith likes to throw to RBs. Bowers will be an issue. Geno was average in the past with a more in sync offense in Seattle that was also talented and had fewer moving pieces going in and out. I could see them being something potentially pretty damn good by week 17. Week 1 it is a lot to ask though.

As for the Pats and where they stand you all know the score there.

Our D has been gelling well all offseason and i think they are ready for this challenge. And with Cooper not being up to speed that could be very helpful to the Pats. Even without Gonzo i am happy with how it stacks up. i think our pass rush is versitile and will make things hard on them.

As for our O. Like the Raiders it was revamped From bad last year to IDK this year. The main key i think is Diggs was here all year. Our 2-3 WR spots are more established and ready to go. Our OL is more shaky than theirs for sure but should be improved and a lot i think will fall on Moses to keep Maxx somewhat in check. Unless our OL gets beat badly our skill guys should be able to score enough.

It will probably be close, but i just see the Patriots having more solutions for the Raiders than they do to us right now.

 

[signbabybrady]

I think on paper we are the better team.

Given the state of our o line Crosby could kill this game.

And then there's the Maye vs Geno aspect. Obviously we're happy to have Maye but Geno is probably still more ready to win a game this week.

I think those are 2 big things that could even out the game other than that advantage good guys.

 

[maust]

We're on to the regular season! Or damn close. I don't know what other movies are coming, but now that we are about exactly 1 week away, is it time to turn our focus a bit more to the week 1 opponent? I wouldn't call this a pregame thread. Just a place people can talk about their early thoughts on this 1pm game on Sunday Sept 7.

My thoughts are this. Spoiler alert! The Patriots SHOULD beat this team. They are better than them. They just are. Here is why i believe that to be the case.

The Raiders defense didn't improve. If anything they likely got worse. This was a D that finished 25th in PPG and 15th in YPG. Maybe tied for the 3 and 4 spot in turnovers given in 2024 had something to do with that. But when you are usually behind you tend to make more mistakes to try to catch up. Where they complete trash on D last year? I don't think so. Subpar trending to bad. But they had their moments at times too. But what did they do to improve it? Nothing stands out to me.

In Free Agency They lost Wilkins - DT, Moehrig - S, Hobbs - CB, Spillane - LB(to us), Deablo - LB, Chaisson - EDGE(to us). These are good to really good players. What did they gain? Chinn - S and Platt - LB... I guess Eric Stokes - CB and Elandon Robert - LB too? Those guys likely don't move the needle much though. Maybe they have some pleasant surprises, but it seems clear to me they lost way more than they gained here. And they players they gained are down grades as far as i can tell.

In the draft they picked 4 defensive players. A CB in the high rd 3, DTs in rd 4 and 6 and an LB in 7. They mostly went offense with their top picks in the draft... Also that 4th round pick was pick 135. So very late. And no one i saw is stepping up in year 2 much.

If someone wants to correct me feel free, but on a surface level this D went from at best subpar last year to flat out bad this year. They had 1 defensive probowler last year in Maxx Crosby. He is clearly the start of this D and seems to mostly work on the right side. Oh and in 2023... Their D had 1 probowler as well. Maxx Crosby again. And he should have less guys on that front to take pressure off him this year. Slow him down and does this D have anything going for it? I don't know. They probably have some decent players in there. Koonce seems pretty solid on the Edge. Outside of him IDK. But no others i know much about.

I know our offense isn't known for being prolific, but it should be able to do something vs this D after the multiple improvements.

On offense the Raiders improved. But let's be clear. This offense finishe 29th in PPG and 27th in YPG. So that wasn't a big ask. However it could be a fairly substanial improvement.

Instead of doing this the same way in this case it be faster to go position by position with so many changes and come back to overall thoughts.

QB - Out - Minshew, Pickett. In - Geno Smith. Should be an upgrade, but Geno isn't great. In Seattle the last 3 years he was surrounding by some good offensive players... but the overall points were never that impressive. Leading his team to 3 straight winning records is commendable for sure. It is always hard to win in the NFL. But it seems slightly fraudulent. Not to say he is bad. Just he is so very average. Maybe a hair subpar. Of course he will come into Oakland who will also have a good cast. He can lead his team to some points.

TE - Bowers. Nothing else to really say, we know he is beastly.

WR - Meyers. Jack Bech (pick 58). Tre Tucker maybe improves a bit more in year 3. And Maybe Dont'e Thornton (pick 108) could help out? Oh and they added Amari Cooper who should still have some good stuff in the tank.

RB - In - Ashton Jeanty (6) Mostert. Out - Mattison, Ameer Abdullah - Ameer, Massive upgrade clearly.

OL - In - Alex Cappa - G, Caleb Rodgers (98) - IOL, Charles Grant (99), Out - Whitehair G, Andres Peat - OT (not worth mentioning i suppose... But for completeness i will put them in); They also rightfully extended LT Miller. And last year they drafted Power-Johnson (44) - G and Delmar Glaze (77) - RT.

Overall their OL should look like this Miller-Dylan(last year of 4 yr rookie deal)-Jordan Meredith(RFA in 26 who elevated from the PS to starter over time)-Power-Johnson-Glaze.

Cappa, Grant and Rodgers for now are back ups it seems.. Overall this offensive line was pretty bad last year and they looked to the draft to address it. It doesn't seem like either pick will start. And Cappa not starting potentially? I have no idea what to make of it. I will need to look into this deeper. For now all i can say is this... it was bad last year and if no one they brought in is going to start this year i doubt it becomes top 10 all the sudden.. but maybe the 2 rooks on the right massively improved. No idea.

But everything else has been upgraded. It is hard to say how much it will help at this point. But Bech shouldn't set the world on fire week 1. But they will have more options to pass too with Cooper, though he didn't get much time in the system so his snaps my be limited... a wrong route can be an Int. So how much will he play week 1? Jeanty can catch some too and Smith likes to throw to RBs. Bowers will be an issue. Geno was average in the past with a more in sync offense in Seattle that was also talented and had fewer moving peices going in and out. I could see them being something potentially pretty damn good by week 17. Week 1 it is a lot to ask though.

As for the Pats and where they stand you all know the score there.

Our D has been gelling well all offseason and i think they are ready for this challenge. And with Cooper not being up to speed that could be very helpful to the Pats. Even without Gonzo i am happy with how it stacks up. i think our pass rush is versitile and will make things hard on them.

As for our O. Like the Raiders it was revamped From bad last year to IDK this year. The main key i think is Diggs was here all year. Our 2-3 WR spots are more established and ready to go. Our OL is more shaky than theirs for sure but should be improved and a lot i think will fall on Moses to keep Maxx somewhat in check. Unless our OL gets beat badly our skill guys should be able to score enough.

It will probably be close, but i just see the Patriots having more solutions for the Raider than they do to us right now.

 

[rkarp1]

will Gonzo play and if he does, how healthy/in football shape will he be? I assume we find out this week if he practices or not.
I think the Pats will screen pass and run at Crosby all game. keep feeding Mondre, Henderson and Gibson.

 

[Uptown]

Jeanty should be stopped. Bowers is the focal point in the passing game. Special player. Meyers isn’t a top talent, but is obviously able to make plays. I’d be less concerned if Gonzalez were playing, but here we are. Obviously, we need to contain Crosby & Koonce is able to pressure the QB as well. We should win this, but it’s week 1 & we all know how much of a circus it can be. Anyway, 27-17 NE.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I don’t think the Raiders are equipped to handle Henderson. Their best linebacker plays for us now. I predict a blowout because the run will set up the pass in this game. 1-0 after week 1.

 

[FCB02062]

Win or people will go off the deep end...

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Nervous but excited to see what the team is all about in a game that counts.

Really excited to see:

Maye to diggs. Supposedly diggs recovery is going very well and Maye looks for him alot. It could still take time but id love to see them connect early and often.

Henderson goes without saying . The run game in general hopefully should feast and take pressure off maye.

WAS looking forward to our defense with the upgraded front and gonzo/carlton locking their wr’s down. May not have gonzo though . And We’ll see how the safeties and lbs look, a little concerned about both units atm as well as our ability to create pressure off the edge.

How the team responds under vrabel in general. This team has had alot of hype around it since free agency and the draft. in fact lately im seeing some of the national media talk shows have us in the playoffs. showing to it with an opening win would mean alot more than last years fluke performance week 1.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Win or people will go off the deep end...

You talkin' about me? You talkin about ME???

 

[lancerman]

The Raiders theoretically should be a winnable game. With that said, this is a team that has so many questions to answer going into the season before we even know what the hell we are dealing with.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I will be watching the return of Meyers. How does he do against his former team?

How will Robert Spillane, K'Lavon Chaisson and Mack Hollins do against their former team?

Then you have Jeanty vs Henderson. Which player will have more of an impact for their team?

Crosby will be a problem, but at least we won't have to deal with Wilkins grabbing players nuts.

The high priced Carlton Davis will be on full display.

 

[Sect140]

I think on paper we are the better team.

Given the state of our o line Crosby could kill this game.

And then there's the Maye vs Geno aspect. Obviously we're happy to have Maye but Geno is probably still more ready to win a game this week.

I think those are 2 big things that could even out the game other than that advantage good guys.

I hope they line up Crosby over Will Campbell hoping to expose him and Josh runs the ball right at him again and again.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

The REAL Question, is how many are going to jump off the Tobin if Campbell makes a mistake?
"I told you TREX sucked, my word, we have to deal with that bum all year, what a dumb pick...shoulda picked so and so...HE SUX!"

The game? 27-17 Pats.

 

[DH523]

I think people are sleeping a bit on the Raiders offense - Geno can win games with his arm, Meyers is solid if he plays, Tucker's a legit deep threat, Cooper can still get his 40-65 YPG with a decent QB, Jeanty's a beast (I call him vs. Henderson a push), and Bowers could have a Gronk-like effect on taking over the game.

Defensively they aren't as strong and I think that (and ST?) may be where the edge lies for us.

This is one of those games the Patriots should win if they want to get to that 8+ win scenario but I also could see it being a dogfight too so a loss wouldn't necessarily surprise me. They played the Ravens, Rams, Chiefs (twice), and Denver pretty tough last year despite their final record.

Final Score Prediction: Patriots 28 - Raiders 23.

 

[Ross12]

I think NE's defense is a little better than LV's offense, and NE's offense is a little better than LV's defense. So in sum total the Pats should be able to handle business.

But of course, all things are gameplan-specific, with one player being able to wreck a game, or neutralizing that player leading to huge success. I'd say if they use screens and runs to neutralize Crosby on offense, and bracket Bowers with something like Alex Austin as a big nickel and Mapu playing cover LB, and use the big guys in the middle like Williams, Tonga, new guy Gregory to stifle Jeanty somewhat, they will be just fine.

 

[Grogan14]

Geno Smith is a good smart veteran who can also hurt you with his legs.
Raiders offense will score points on pats D.
Key is if Maye can play smart turnover free ball.
I expect pats will turn the ball over.
I like Raiders 27-24 in this one

 

[Triumph]

I believe, on offense the Pats will establish the run first with a heavy dose of Henderson and Stevenson.

Mickey D has had weeks to prepare for the franchise that fired him. The Pats have solid receiving options, I just hope Maye can step up and deliver. Dont Arch Manning this game at home.

On defense, I get the impression that the Pats defense is going to be real good. Amari Cooper was a beast with the Browns a couple of years ago. Then a uneventful 2024. Maybe he is back? Bowers is a real deal solid TE who put himself on the map last season. Meyers has produced in LV when he has seen targets.

 

[reflexblue]

The season is finally here, an actual game to prepare for. I see the pats handily beating the raidahs

 

[Ring 6]

This is a big game to me in terms of how the season is going to play out.
The Patriots have 8 games against teams that lost 12 or more games last year:
Jets
Jets
Raiders
Giants
Saints
Browns
Panthers
Titans

The Raiders are the only one that potentially made real improvement with a veteran HC and QB.
The other 7 figure to suck pretty much as badly as last year.

I’m looking at sweeping these 8.
That leaves 6 games against averagish teams
Fins
Fins
Steelers
Bengals
Bucs
Falcons.

Splitting those brings it to 11 wins if we sweep the excrement eight.

With 3 tough openents in the Bills twice and Ravens.

Good gauge of where we may be headed.

I expect Maye to light up the Raiders btw.

 

[Real fan 02]

I think on paper we are the better team.

Given the state of our o line Crosby could kill this game.

And then there's the Maye vs Geno aspect. Obviously we're happy to have Maye but Geno is probably still more ready to win a game this week.

I think those are 2 big things that could even out the game other than that advantage good guys.

Josh will scheme to not let Crosby go bonkers, We let gino Smith do whatever he wanted last year with Seattle. We have a far better front 7 and should cause havoc upfront. We need to make gino Smith look like the Jets version gino Smith and not the QB who got a 100 million dollar contract. Gino is a veteran of course however Drake is up an coming guy and presents more in his tool set for a defense to have to deal with.