3 key matchups to watch as the Patriots visit the Raiders in Week 6
By Fran Brown
2. Patriots defensive backs vs. Raiders receivers
It's a shame that Christian Gonzalez got hurt because the Patriots nailed that pick in last year's draft. Through the first three weeks, he covered up a depleted secondary and kept the team in games by shutting down A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Garrett Wilson. Now he's gone for the season, and the outlook is bleak.
When you have a poor secondary, you need a strong pass rush to help mitigate the damage, and now that Matthew Judon is out, the Patriots are stuck. Jonathan Jones isn't quite 100% or a number one corner. The Chargers were happy to see J.C. Jackson leave, Shaun Wade barely made the roster, and Myles Bryant is a good special teamer.
They get their hands full with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and the rest of the Raiders receivers this week. Adams is seeing over ten targets a game, and I bet he can't wait to see a depleted secondary on Sunday.
Meyers is doing what he usually does: catching the ball and moving the sticks (14 of his 25 receptions have gone for first downs). The one area he has improved is that he's finally finding the end zone with three touchdowns in four games. If the Patriots have any shot on Sunday, they'll need to win this matchup.