Raiders Poised for Stunning Upset: Can They Topple the Patriots?

Football season kicked off with a bang—or should I say, a facepalm? Thursday’s opener had me questioning if Jalen Carter was moonlighting as a gambler or just plain reckless, getting booted before the Eagles even took the field. Talk about starting the year on the wrong foot! So as we clean the slate, Sunday’s matchup between the Raiders and Patriots feels like the perfect chance to reset. Both squads come in with hobbled expectations and fresh faces—Geno Smith reunited with Pete Carroll and the rookie Ashton Jeanty trying to make waves for the Raiders, while the Patriots juggle a shaky offensive line and hope Mike Vrabel’s defensive wizardry can spark some life. Can these two underwhelming outfits surprise us, or are we just watching a slow-motion train wreck? My money’s on the Raiders covering the spread—but can Jeanty really be the playmaker Carroll needs? Let’s find out. LEARN MORE.

Raiders vs. Patriots, 1:00 ET

It was not a very pleasant first day of the football season for me on Thursday. Jalen Carter deserves to be investigated for gambling connections or just plain stupidity. He is such a huge piece of the Eagles defense and was ejected out of the game before it even started. That doesn’t help me as the Cowboys ran the ball with ease, and Dak Prescott had a lot of time to load up and get the ball downfield to CeeDee Lamb. It is a long season, but that was already an annoying start. Let’s get this first Sunday off to a good start here as the Raiders take on the Patriots. 

The expectation for this season is that the Raiders will not be a very good football team. I have to imagine they will be slightly better than last year as I do like some of their additions. More on that in a moment, but the thought is that they will finish last in their division. The Raiders enter this season with Geno Smith as their quarterback, and they have a new-to-them coach in Pete Carroll. After taking last year off, Carroll is back on the sidelines and has the quarterback he is comfortable with in Smith. Not only is he in the fold, but they also selected Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and now they have a solid combination for passing and running. I expect that Carroll works Jeanty heavily, having had great running backs come alive under him in the past. The problem that the Raiders likely will have is two-fold: their receivers aren’t great, and their defense is nothing exciting. Maxx Crosby is always a beast, but there are a lot of question marks on this squad. 

The Patriots are also not expected to be that impressive this season. They didn’t have a very good year last year, considering that they went just 4-13 for the season. They ended up starting Drake Maye in week six last year, and there were some flashes of success. He ended the season with a completion percentage of just 67%. He ended up having 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, so he will need to be a bit more protective of his throws. He does have Stefon Diggs in the fold now, and that could be a good addition for him. To make matters worse, though, the Patriots are one of the worst ranked offensive lines in football. If they can’t give Maye time, it really doesn’t matter who he is throwing to, he will be slammed into the ground too often. I’d like to see where the defense goes here. The Patriots defensive line ranks in the top half of the league, but I do think they will need to create more consistent pressure if they are going to make progress here. The Patriots also have Mike Vrabel on their sidelines, new for this season. 

This should be a pretty good game as two teams look to figure out their offenses and improve defenses. Vrabel should improve the Patriots defense overall, but I’m not sure that it gets there right away. Carroll should help the Raiders offense look a little more competent. I think the Raiders are the right look in this one with the points. I would be surprised to see them win the game, but I think they should cover the spread. I like Smith better than Maye, and I think the defenses are even enough. Take the points with the Raiders and take Jeanty to score the first touchdown overall and Raiders touchdown. 

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