The Las Vegas Raiders desperately need a win in Week 15 against New England, and here, we lay out our final preview and prediction of the matchup.
Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season is upon us, and with that, the Las Vegas Raiders will play host to the New England Patriots inside Allegiant Stadium. For the Raiders, their long season has been filled with so many missed opportunities, but none bigger than the loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday night.
Coming into that game with a three-game winning streak, the Raiders blew a 16-3 fourth quarter lead to a Rams team playing with a quarterback that had joined the franchise 40 hours earlier. All Baker Mayfield did was lead a 98-yard game-winning touchdown drive with under two minutes left, and no timeouts, leading the Silver and Black shocked.
Now, they turn the page to New England, a potential playoff contender in the AFC, and head coach Josh McDaniels’ former place of employment.
Raiders vs Patriots Preview
While the Patriots are currently in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot, they have not been the kind of New England team we are used to saying. In fact, one could argue they would have lost last Monday against Arizona had Kyler Murray not been injured.
This game is going to come down to which defensive line can get the push needed to get the two quarterbacks in this matchup off their mark. Mac Jones has been subpar all season long, and Derek Carr is fresh off arguably his worst appearance as a Raider since taking over as the starter as a rookie in 2014.
The key for the Raiders on offense, on the other hand, will be getting the ball to Josh Jacobs early and often and hoping that he can stay healthy enough to dominate. If he gets going, it should open things up for Carr, who is likely playing for his Raiders’ future down the stretch.
Raiders vs Patriots Prediction
This is a game that should go down to the wire, and that should scare Raider Nation, as the Silver and Black have struggled to close out games all season long. However, I believe Las Vegas will pick up the victory at home against New England, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive for at least another week or so.
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has been too conservative this year
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is coaching like he’s still in New England and that has been a major problem this year.
Maxx Crosby is going to go off against New England, racking up a couple of sacks, and possibly forcing some ill-advised throws from Jones. If Carr can protect the football, and not make costly mistakes like he did against the Rams, Las Vegas should come away with a solid victory at home.
Final Score: Raiders 21, Patriots 17