The first month of the Patriots' 2026 season was historically difficult, as it was considered the hardest strength of schedule in 40 years, so seeing them come out of it with a 2-2- record is far better than what it could have, and looked like it should have, been.
They go into their Week 5 matchup against the Raiders riding a high after a big-time win over the undefeated Bills on the road. Before the season began, Las Vegas didn't look like a team to worry about, especially with Kirk Cousins named the starting quarterback.
But they went toe-to-toe with the constant leaders of the AFC, the Chiefs, last week, and now sit with a 3-1 record on their way to Foxboro.
Although they just lost, they're not a team to overlook, as they're playing far better than anyone expected, and they could exploit the Patriots' biggest weaknesses with ease. Fortunately, the Patriots have one thing in their favor: Josh McDaniels, who coached many of the players on the Raiders roster, and they can use that to their advantage.
Even better is knowing he will be motivated to finally get revenge on the team that gave up on him midseason and fired him as he was trick-or-treating with his kids on Halloween in 2023.
They couldn't do that for the offensive coordinator last year when the Raiders came to town, but they hope their fate will be different this time, as they hope to keep the momentum going after their impressive win over the Bills.
Josh McDaniels will surely be motivated to get a win vs. his former team
In last year's season opener, the Raiders embarrassed the Patriots with a 20-13 win on their home turf, and Geno Smith looked MVP-caliber based on his performance against what would become a top-10 defense.
It was an opportunity for McDaniels to prove the Raiders were wrong to fire him nearly two years before, but it was far from his best-called game, and led to the Patriots starting the season 0-1.
Both teams look much different now, just a year later, and it's probably fair to assume that McDaniels doesn't think about his time in Las Vegas much anymore, as he is back with the team he has had the most success with and is coming off a year that ended with a Super Bowl appearance.
Not to mention, he's working with a young superstar quarterback like Drake Maye, which makes things even better.
He will need Maye to play at the level he did against the Bills, completing 22 passes for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns, and leading the team with 8 carries for 54 yards. It was the kind of performance the quarterback became known for last year, and with injuries piling up on offense, they'll need that to have a real chance against the Raiders.
They'll be looking to get their season back on track after losing to their biggest divisional foe, the Chiefs, last Sunday, and they'll want to exploit the Patriots' rough start to the season, if possible, to get the job done.
But many factors should motivate the Patriots to ensure that doesn't happen, including any grudge McDaniels still has, which presumably only grew after how the Raiders beat them last year.
With the vibes high again in Foxboro and Maye seemingly back to his confidence, hopefully they can keep the good stuff going and maintain their home win streak, maybe even repeating their 10-game win streak from last year after facing the Bills.
They'll need a well-called game by McDaniels to accomplish that, and Maye playing at his best level yet, which will only make a win against the Raiders that much sweeter.
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