Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots: 3 players to watch in Week 3
By Alex Perl
The Las Vegas Raiders look to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2002 on Sunday, and here are three Raiders to watch against the Pats.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in unfamiliar territory. Staring at a 2-0 record, which has not occurred since 2017, the Raiders are turning some heads after winning their home debut in Las Vegas against a heavy favorite in the New Orleans Saints. So it is now on to Week 3 in New England against Cam Newton and the new-look Patriots, who are always a tough draw on the road.
The Patriots are without Tom Brady, but that does not mean they do not come into this game as the favorite. Newton has been more than serviceable, and almost led the Patriots to near win over playoff regulars, the Seattle Seahawks in a tough Sunday night matchup across the country.
With that being said, there are three players here who can make or break the Raiders chances at a Week 3 victory in Foxboro. Let’s take a look below.
Maxx Crosby
Sure, Maxx Crosby did not record a sack on Drew Brees this past week, but he made more than just a few cameo’s pressuring the veteran quarterback. Crosby may only be in his second year, but when it comes to getting to the quarterback, he is the de facto pass rusher on this Raider defense.
Facing a quarterback with dual ability like Cam Newton may be a tougher task than the aging Brees, and Crosby will have to lead the line in getting in the face of Newton if the Raiders look to have any chance to prevail with a victory this weekend. I like him to notch his first sack of the 2020 campaign on Sunday.