3 key matchups to watch as the Patriots visit the Raiders in Week 6
By Fran Brown
3. Josh McDaniels vs. Bill Belichick
One indication of the Patriots' demise over the past few years is that Bill Belichick seemingly can no longer beat former assistants after they become head coaches.
With last year's loss to Josh McDaniels and the Raiders, Belichick is now 3-7 in games against former assistants since the start of the 2018 season. Even Matt Patricia is 1-0 against Belichick, and he got fired for only winning 13 games in three seasons with the Lions.
McDaniels is 2-0 against Belichick and the Patriots between stints with the Broncos and Raiders and has familiarity with both quarterback Mac Jones and offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. It's probably not a coincidence that Jones struggled mightily against Las Vegas last year, as McDaniels knows his strengths and weaknesses better than just about anyone else.
On the other side, Belichick knows McDaniels probably better than anyone else and, even though it has been a while, has familiarity with Jimmy Garoppolo. There will be no secrets on the field Sunday when these teams meet, so the better-coached team will win.