Las Vegas Raiders vs Patriots 2022 Week 15: Early storylines
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on the New England Patriots in Week 15, and here are some early storylines to keep an eye on.
Week 15 brings an AFC matchup for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they will head home to take on the New England Patriots. The Silver and Black go into this game with a lot of rest, as they have not played since last Thursday, when they were beaten by a very bad Los Angeles Rams team on the road.
Now, they have to regroup in time to face a franchise that has dominated the AFC in recent memory, but one who is having a tough 2022 season as well. Here, we look at some early storylines to keep an eye on during the week.
Las Vegas Raiders vs Patriots 2022 Week 15: Early storylines
Health of the offensive line
The offensive line could be without two of their starting offensive linemen in this one, which is not great considering the Patriots racked up six sacks in their win against Arizona on Monday night. The Raiders offensive line has been an issue all season long, but after cutting a few players, they are even more thin than ever.
New England is going to take advantage of this matchup, as Bill Belichick is a defensive genius, and is going to find anyway to get Derek Carr off his mark. Carr has not been great under pressure this season, and if he is playing with a patchwork offensive line, this one could get ugly up front.
Will Josh Jacobs be a go?
The health of Josh Jacobs has also been a big storyline in recent weeks, and it got even worse when he hurt his hand in the loss against the Rams. Despite being in obvious pain, Jacobs gutted it out, and the hope is that the extra few days of rest will get him to a place where he can be an impact player on Sunday.
Jacobs has been a bright spot in this Raiders season, and he is going to get a big payday after the 2022 campaign ends. For now, his goal is to help this team get to a playoff spot, as there is no way it happens without him.
McDaniels vs Mentor
Josh McDaniels is in his first season as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and on Sunday, he goes up against his former boss, and mentor, Bill Belichick. All eyes are going to be on the chess match between these two former co-workers, as a win against Belichick and the Patriots would be a defining moment in a tough first season at the helm for McDaniels.
If the Las Vegas Raiders want to make the playoffs, they are going to have to win out, and get some serious help. However, they can check off one of the boxes on Sunday by beating New England, but who knows which Raiders team is going to show up inside Allegiant Stadium in Week 15.