Oakland Raiders: 5 matchups to watch vs. New England Patriots
By John Buhler
Derek Carr vs. Devin McCourty
This one could be a real treat for football fans. You’ve got one of the best secondary players in all of football going up against one of the best on-the-rise quarterbacks in the league going at it. What’s not to like about Oakland quarterback Derek Carr versus New England safety Devin McCourty?
Carr is the face of the Raiders franchise. Though defensive end Khalil Mack is the best player on this team, Oakland wins and loses games because of Carr’s on-field talents. While New England is so Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, perhaps the most important defensive player the Patriots have is McCourty?
New England has other excellent defensive backs including cornerback Malcolm Butler, safety Patrick Chung and cornerback Stephon Gilmore. However, McCourty is a consistent tactician in the middle of this Patriots secondary. He rarely makes a bad read and this could be troubling for Carr, especially if Oakland is playing from behind.
Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia may not ask McCourty to spy Carr all game. However, there will be a handful of snaps where McCourty will follow the Raiders’ quarterback’s eyes to see if he can’t pick off the football to seal the game for New England.