It was unreasonable to think that the Las Vegas Raiders could stay perfect throughout the 2026 NFL season. And while losing to the Kansas City Chiefs was unspeakably painful, it did somehow help the Silver and Black gain a lot of respect in a league-wide sense, which isn't unimportant.
Bouncing back in Week 5 against the New England Patriots, however, will be the most important thing in the minds of Klint Kubiak, his coaching staff and his team. Although Kubiak had success against Mike Vrabel's squad in last year's Super Bowl, the circumstances are entirely different now.
Winning, as Raider Nation was reminded of last week, comes down to the little things. And matchups are so important in this league, so let's examine the three biggest ones that could decide Las Vegas' Sunday morning matchup against New England, for better or for worse.
3 big matchups that will decide Raiders-Patriots in Week 5
Rob Leonard and the run defense vs. TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson
Stopping the run has been an issue for Leonard's unit this season, and the Patriots' unique tandem of Henderson and Stevenson will not make it easy on them. This duo is comprised of two very different backs, stylistically speaking, so the Raiders must be prepared for two distinct kinds of attack.
This will be the first game in which Las Vegas has a true tandem that gets equal reps coming at them, and with so much already on their plate to deal with in terms of their own issues against the run, game planning for New England will be tough. If they can slow them down, that changes everything.
Raiders' defensive line vs. banged up and underperforming Patriots OL
Las Vegas' pass rush was good last week, but not as great as fans had become accustomed to in the first three weeks. Getting pressure on Drake Maye will be paramount, as he has been coughing the ball up under pressure this year, both by throwing dangerous passes and fumbling.
New England's offensive line is not performing well, and they've been and still are banged up, too. So, the Raiders' front seven should be able to have success against the Patriots and affect this game. If they can't, then it may be a long Sunday for the Silver and Black.
Las Vegas' TE tandem vs. a strong New England secondary
Nobody can truly guard Brock Bowers, but if someone can slow him down, it is Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots. His health is a question mark this week, but New England has a great secondary with or without him. So, the question then becomes how Kubiak schemes Bowers and Michael Mayer open.
Yes, the Patriots' secondary is largely strong, but 5-foot-8 nickel defender Marcus Jones can't cover a tight end, and their linebackers are flat-out abysmal in coverage. Manipulating the defense to get obvious mismatches will be critical in this one, and Kubiak has the ability to get the job done.
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