FOXBORO — In his Tennessee days, Mike Vrabel would stroll into the primary group assembly of each sport week with a promise.
Do these three or 4 issues, he’d inform his gamers, and victory will likely be ready on the opposite facet.
Typically, Vrabel’s keys had been apparent.
Shield the ball. Shield the quarterback. Stop explosive performs on protection.
Others had been tailor-made to the Titans’ upcoming opponent, a selected matchup or scheme.
This week, Vrabel has already recognized his keys for the Patriots; the battlegrounds he believes will swing Sunday’s season opener towards the Raiders a method or one other. Supplied the prospect to disclose them Wednesday, he declined.
“Sure, we have now (determined),” Vrabel stated, “and no, we gained’t (share).”
Let’s take a stab, anyway.
The Raiders are a top-heavy group constructed to thumb the softest stress factors on Vrabel’s first roster. Las Vegas’ two stars — Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers — are the place the Patriots’ issues begin, and the place Sunday’s sport may finish. Neutralizing them will likely be their hardest and most important challenges.
Whereas Crosby sometimes aligns reverse proper tackles, the four-time Professional Bowler will see rookie left sort out Will Campbell typically sufficient the Patriots should ship assist. Over coaching camp and the preseason, Campbell struggled in go safety like all rookie offensive linemen do. Nevertheless, there have been few flashes between these losses that gave purpose to really feel inspired in regards to the 21-year-old’s possibilities towards one of the harmful go rushers within the NFL.
Hazard lurks subsequent to Campbell, too.
Third-round rookie guard Jared Wilson barely held off profession journeyman Ben Brown this summer season to win the beginning job at left guard, a place he hasn’t majored in since 2022. Wilson confronted related points in through the preseason, when he graded out as one of many worst pass-protecting inside offensive lineman within the league throughout a teeny-tiny 32-play pattern that included one allowed sack and one other stress. Working all day gained’t ease their rising pains, and speeding could also be fully off the desk if the Patriots fall behind early by a number of scores.
So, how will Josh McDaniels problem-solve?
If historical past is any indicator, McDaniels will dump his bag of methods to sluggish Crosby and assist his rookie offensive linemen: double-teams, chips by tight ends and operating backs, misdirection, screens, and many others. Fortunately, the Raiders are kind of void of defensive expertise round Crosby, which ought to enable Drake Maye to select from a large menu of favorable receiving matchups. Las Vegas additionally allowed the seventh-most factors within the NFL final 12 months and ranked lifeless final in go protection, per PFF.
Nonetheless, a participant like Crosby threatens to single-handedly upend each sport and can check Campbell and McDaniels like few different gamers on the Patriots’ schedule. Whether or not none, one or each of them go that check will provide an excellent harbinger of what’s to come back from this offense, which needs to be dogged by iffy go safety all season lengthy.
As for Bowers, he’s quick encroaching on NFL historical past. He’s already banked the best statistical season by a rookie tight finish, catching 112 passes for 1,197 yards final 12 months. Bowers would be the Raiders’ go-to goal for the foreseeable future, and with few threats round him — outdated pal Jakobi Meyers is the Raiders’ greatest wideout — he needs to be the focus of Vrabel’s defensive sport plan.
A part of the Patriots’ preparation included the curious launch of one in every of their greatest safeties, Jabrill Peppers, late final week. Peppers’ exit left unheralded Jaylinn Hawkins and fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson entrenched because the Patriots’ new starters in a model new scheme and the primary line of protection towards Bowers. Woodson arrived in New England as one of many smartest and most skilled prospects within the draft, however he by no means crossed paths with a expertise like Bowers over his 5 years at Cal.
And he is aware of it.
“Brock can do every part,” Woodson stated. “You understand, they align them all over the place. They do every part with them, so all people’s acquired to convey their ‘A’ sport.’ ”
In fact, no group performs its greatest in Week 1. Each season opener options some slop and engenders extra questions. However this a lot is obvious: with out Christian Gonzalez, the Raiders will subject the 2 greatest gamers Sunday in Foxboro and possibly boast the higher quarterback. Normally, that’s sufficient to win within the NFL.
But when Vrabel’s Patriots are to grow to be the kind of group they wish to be — one which out-smarts, out-works and out-toughs its opponents — they’ll win anyway. They’ll make a behavior of profitable video games like Sunday’s, toss-ups with apparent expertise disadvantages. And so they’ll hit their keys typically sufficient to unlock extra than simply victory
Attempt a brand new id, and a message despatched to the remainder of the league.
