The Raiders have no shortage of history with the Patriots, and the bad blood still feels fresh. Las Vegas got the early edge in 2025 by beating New England on its own field to open the season, a result that carried extra sting with Josh McDaniels on the other sideline and several former Raiders in the Patriots’ building.
New England answered by rolling through the AFC again and reaching the Super Bowl, only to run into Seattle and Klint Kubiak and come away on the wrong end of a lopsided loss. Even so, the Patriots are back in the mix, and the Raiders are staring at a Week 5 matchup with a reloaded opponent.
To get a better read on what Las Vegas is walking into, we spoke with Sara Marshall, site expert for Musket Fire, FanSided’s Patriots page. She laid out where New England stands after last season’s surprise run and what has changed heading into 2026.
Marshall said the Patriots’ confidence is higher than it has been in years, even if the outlook is not spotless. “Last year’s success was completely unexpected, but obviously embraced, and there is far more optimism about what they can accomplish this year than there has been in recent history.”
Still, she pointed to the team’s 2026 schedule as a real obstacle. It is already projected to be among the toughest in the NFL, and that has tempered the buzz around another deep run. Marshall put the confidence level at “a 60/40 split at this point,” adding that the roster upgrades were necessary but may not be enough against elite competition.
One of the biggest questions around New England is how much the Patriots are thinking about Klint Kubiak. Marshall said the answer is mostly not much, at least in the revenge-game sense.
“I’d say it’s more out of mind because he’s with a different team. I think there is definitely a sense of wanting revenge over his former team, the Seahawks, in Week 1, even if it isn’t for the Lombardi Trophy, but it would also be fair to say that, as one of the few teams that beat the Patriots last year, they will want to take down the Raiders this time.”
The Patriots’ offseason, though, did give them a different kind of buzz. Drake Maye was already coming off a season Marshall described as MVP-worthy, and New England went out and gave him more help.
She highlighted the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to the receiving corps, along with Alijah Vera-Tucker on the offensive line and fullback Reggie Gilliam.
“Adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs certainly improves the receiving corps to a level the Patriots haven’t had in quite some time, even well before Tom Brady left for the Bucs in 2020.”
Marshall said those moves matter because they give Maye more support and make the offense harder to defend. Brown, in particular, changes the way the unit can attack.
“It certainly gives the offense a stronger identity, and McDaniels will now have the chance to get even more creative with his play-calling, something he has been known for throughout his career as an offensive coordinator.”
She added that Brown’s presence should open things up for Maye downfield and force defenses to spread their attention around.
Marshall also singled out Vera-Tucker as the most impactful move outside of the Brown trade. She called the offensive line an overlooked but crucial area, especially after what happened late last season and in the Championship game.
She noted that some of the issues were tied to Will Campbell’s injury and the inexperience of Campbell and Jared Wilson. With Wilson now at center and Vera-Tucker at left guard, Marshall believes the line should be sturdier and Maye should have a cleaner path.
Not everything she pointed to was rosy, though. Marshall said New England’s pass rush is probably its weakest group right now, even if Mike Vrabel appears comfortable with the personnel.
She mentioned K’Lavon Chaisson leaving in free agency, top free agents signing elsewhere, and only Dre’Mont Jones arriving in New England. That, she said, could be a mistake from the front office and a spot the Raiders may be able to attack.
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