The start of the 2025 NFL season is just days away, with the Patriots well on their way in preparation for welcoming the Raiders for their Week 1 matchup. It's a game that already has plenty of headlines to write, with perhaps the most notable being Tom Brady's ownership stake in the AFC West team taking on the team he led to unimaginable success for nearly two decades.
It will also be the first time we see what Mike Vrabel's Patriots can do against another rebuilding team, with odds painting the home team as the slight winner. Based on who the Raiders have lost this offseason, like wide receiver Davante Adams, there might be reason to believe the Patriots have a slight edge.
But they also managed to draft the most explosive running back of the 2025 class in the first round by selecting Ashton Jeanty. That will pose a significant threat to the Patriots' defensive line, which has not been particularly effective at stopping the run.
That could be all that it takes to derail their efforts on Sunday.
The Raiders offense could give the Patriots a tougher time than expected
Going into this season, there isn't a lot of optimism surrounding the Raiders' chances, mostly because they're in the AFC West with the Chiefs and they have made several significant changes to their roster and front office, including hiring Pete Carroll as their new head coach.
They will be starting a new quarterback under center, too, with Geno Smith and hope that an Amari Cooper and Jakobi Meyers-led receiving corps will be a strong group. They also have an impressive 1-2 punch in the tight end room with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, both of whom can give the Patriots problems as well.
Over the last few years, they haven't had a successful time blocking tight ends, especially after the downfall of Kyle Dugger last year. But they'll also have the tough task of shutting down a backfield led by Jeanty, whose final season with Boise State made him a potential first overall pick in this year's draft.
During the 2024 season, Jeanty recorded 374 carries for a mind-boggling 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. On top of that, he added 23 receptions for 138 yards and another score, proving he's a dual-threat option for Smith to utilize.
The Patriots are hoping that the additions they made to their defensive line will improve their chances of stopping the run, which has become a detriment to their efforts over the last few years.
It might take a hit with the departure of Davon Godchaux early this offseason, since he was the best run stopper of the group since joining the team in 2021.
We saw just how vulnerable that group was last season when they allowed an average of 116 rushing yards per game, which was 13th in the league, with the most notable games being against the 49ers in Week 4 when they allowed the backup running back to record 24 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown, against the Dolphins in Week 5 (184 yards), in Week 6 against the Texans (186 yards and two scores), and against the Bills in Week 16 (172 yards and one score).
It's difficult to say whether they have adequately made up for his loss ahead of a season opener, but there is optimism that the additions of players like Khyiris Tonga and Milton Williams, along with the return of Christian Barmore, will be enough to change that.
They'll certainly need it if they don't want to be completely run over to start the season, and it's easy to believe that could be in the cards with a player like Jeanty on the opposing offense.