Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots: 3 players to watch in Week 3
By Alex Perl
Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots: 3 players to watch in Week 3
Lamarcus Joyner
A lot can be said about the slot corner, especially after a disastrous 2019 first season with the Raiders, but Lamarcus Joyner has done more than enough to justify retaining his starting position thus far. After a solid outing against New Orleans, he may have a tougher task in Week 3 in covering slot receiving specialist Julian Edelman.
Edelman does not seem to be losing a step without the services of Brady in New England, and Joyner will have to be on his A-game to stop the former Super Bowl MVP, who is coming off a sparkling outing against Seattle. Joyner can prove his worth with a standout game.
Derek Carr
Oh captain, my captain! Yes…Last but not least, the third deciding factor here is quarterback Derek Carr. After a somewhat conservative outing in Week 1, Carr silenced the doubters vs a very stingy Saints defense on Monday. With the heat turned up, Carr will have to continue this type of aggressive play to pull out a victory in Foxboro.
The Patriots have shown a high-powered offense so far, and if the Raiders can not keep up with Newton and the Pats on defense, Carr will need a similar outing to squeak out a victory. With hopefully offensive lineman Trent Brown returning from injury, and rookie receiver Henry Ruggs at full health, Carr should have enough at his disposal to pull out a win.