The New England Patriots (7-6) face off against Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) on Sunday, as the Patriots look to continue their uphill battle to officially punch their ticket to the 2023 NFL playoffs.
Buy Patriots TicketsIf New England has any hope of reaching the playoffs for the second straight year, they’ll have to go through a potent Raiders offense that’ll be getting some key weapons back on the field, including standout tight end Darren Waller.
The Raiders defense, particularly the secondary, should offer a favorable matchup for Mac Jones and the Patriots offense. Here are this week’s keys to the game for the Patriots.
Keep Raiders offensive weapons in check
The Patriots face a tough offense with-game breaking weapons like Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs. Josh McDaniels is an offensive mastermind that could be one of the first offenses to truly test the Patriots defense this season.
New England will need big games from Jack Jones and Jonathan Jones to keep the Raiders’ weapons in check. Kyle Dugger will also have to have a great game as a hybrid defender in containing Waller.
If the Patriots can manage to contain the main weapons, there is little confidence in those behind them to pick up the slack.
Expose the raiders secondary, and show offensive growth
The Raiders’ secondary is terrible and has been for the majority of the season. However, the Patriots offense has been pretty much the equivalent, thanks to poor play-calling and offensive line play.
Mac Jones had one of his best games against a similarly ranked secondary, when the Patriots matched up on Thanksgiving against the Minnesota Vikings.
Getting back on track is important against a poor defense but showing offensive growth is even more important. The Patriots need to start stringing some wins together here, and it will take all 3 facets of the game down the stretch to do so.
Keep Mac Jones upright
Jones plays his best games when the Patriots’ offensive line can actually keep him upright. Funny isn’t it? Good offensive line play typically translates to good offensive efficiency.
Keeping Jones upright will be a tough task against Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones, but doing so is arguably the most important key to this game. Chandler Jones and Crosby have the ability to be game-breakers on defense, and the Patriots can not afford a loss at this point of the season.
As cliché as it sounds, this battle will be won or lost in the trenches.
