For a West Coast team like the Las Vegas Raiders, there are few things more challenging than traveling across several time zones and beating a good squad like the New England Patriots all the way on the East Coast. But such is the task at hand for Klint Kubiak's group on the road in Week 5.
These Patriots still have many holdovers from last year's AFC champion roster, even if they are set to be quite a bit short-staffed on Sunday. So, emerging with a victory will be no easy feat. Fresh off a loss, how this young Raiders team and staff perform in this matchup will also say a lot about them.
To do our part in preparing for this intraconference showdown, we put on our tricorne hats, stepped into a time machine, and... just kidding. We spoke with Sara Marshall of Musket Fire, our sister FanSided site that covers the New England Patriots, for this week's edition of Across the Bow.
Marshall knows more about the current NFL landscape than George Washington or John Adams anyway.
Preview of Raiders-Patriots in Week 5 with Musket Fire's Sara Marshall
Q: Drake Maye finally looked like his 2025 self in Week 4. What do you think was the key to getting him going, and how can the Patriots keep doing more of the same?
A: With so much negativity surrounding him ahead of the game, Drake Maye said his teammates rallied around him and never wavered in their support. Hearing that, and his coaches emphasizing that they still believed in him, had to help his confidence, on top of knowing he beat the Bills in Buffalo last season.
We might not want to point to the schedule, but the Patriots faced the toughest strength of schedule in the first four games in 40 years. It was a brutal start for a team that came off a weak Super Bowl appearance, and they’re hoping they’ve finally hit their stride after beating an undefeated Bills team with an MVP frontrunner quarterback.
Our take: Confidence is everything for a young quarterback, and the Patriots definitely seemed to find their mojo last week. That is obviously a bit worrisome, knowing what New England is capable of, but here's to hoping that Kubiak and the Raiders knock them down a peg once again.
Q: Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore were notably absent from last week's win over the Bills, and yet it looked like New England's best game of the year. What does the injury timeline look like for these two, and how exciting is it to play so well without two stars?
A: At the midweek point before their Week 5 matchup, more questions than answers remain about Christian Gonzalez’s return. He didn’t practice Wednesday, and Mike Vrabel offered little update, which never feels like a good sign.
Christian Barmore practiced in a limited capacity, but other players were noticeably absent on Wednesday, which made his return feel a little less exciting.
CB Carlton Davis, WR Mack Hollins, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, FB Reggie Gilliam, and RT Morgan Moses were all absent; hopefully that doesn’t remain the case on game day. Otherwise, this could be an ugly game for the Patriots, even if they played well with two of their biggest defensive stars out, and a big opportunity for the Raiders.
Our take: Yikes. Health is wealth in the NFL, and if the Patriots come into this game dead broke, then that certainly helps Las Vegas' chances of winning, even if nobody in Raider Nation is rooting for injuries in New England, and beating teams at their strongest is always preferable.
Q: After watching the Raiders get run all over to begin the year, do you think the Patriots will focus heavily on the ground game, even with Maye starting to figure it out again? TreVeyon Henderson's explosiveness could be an issue for us.
A: Unfortunately, the Patriots haven’t had much success with their run game early in the season. In fact, in their win over the Bills last week, Drake Maye led the team in rushing yards. That’s always a sign that the run game failed big time.
They had Jamaal Williams in for a workout earlier in the week, which suggests they’re not 100% pleased with how the backfield is performing. But if the Raiders continue their poor run defense, this game could be the bounce-back Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson need.
Our take: Ah, so the Patriots' run game looks a bit better in the box score than it does in reality. Las Vegas' run defense has been abysmal, so if there is a game for them to get going, it'd be this one. And I'm not writing off a talented duo like Henderson and Stevenson.
Q: What is New England's biggest weakness that you believe Las Vegas can exploit?
A: The right side of the offensive line has been problematic over the last few games, mostly because Mike Onwenu broke his ankle in Week 2, and they’re now on their third replacement at right guard. The usually solid Morgan Moses has had some rough outings, and if he lines up against Maxx Crosby, it could be a huge benefit for the Raiders.
Defensively, they have improved their pass rush slightly, even with last season’s sack leader Harold Landry III sidelined with an injury. But it’s still not consistent enough to really threaten the quarterback’s performance much, and given Cousins’s veteran knowledge, it might be a test he can easily pass.
Our take: Crosby lines up across from the right tackle, so that could be very bad news for New England. He may have a career day. And keeping Cousins clean is paramount, so it is good to know that the pass rush is a bit inconsistent. The Raiders have to capitalize there.
Q: Should Gonzalez play, do you think he'll follow Brock Bowers around, or what will be the plan to slow him and a slew of very good TEs down?
A: Because Brock Bowers is almost considered a jumbo slot receiver, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he’s who Gonzalez covers for most of the game. He’s treated as their No. 1 receiver, so it makes sense to have your best cornerback on him.
If Gonzalez doesn’t play, however, I’d suspect it would be Carlton Davis, or maybe even Marcus Jones, despite the size difference that would work in Bowers’ favor. The Patriots have struggled against tight ends in recent years, so Las Vegas having two great players at the position is certainly worrisome.
Our take: Carlton Davis has not practiced this week, so that could leave Marcus Jones. All 5-foot-8 of him. That is a nightmare mismatch for the Patriots if I have ever heard one, and that should leave fans even more confident in Michael Mayer against whoever New England has left to cover him.
Q: The Patriots' run defense hasn't been as dominant in 2026. What do you attribute that to?
A: Part of it is going to be in their linebackers missing a good amount of tackles, on top of being down one of their best starters, Harold Landry III. They also chose not to re-sign Khyiris Tonga in free agency, who is now thriving with the Chiefs, despite being their best run defender last year.
They went on a historic run at the start of the 2025 season, limiting star running backs to 50 or fewer yards per game, and that’s not the case this year.
Our take: If the Raiders are going to get the run game going, they have to do it on Sunday, or at least start showing serious signs of progress. New England still has great talent in its front seven, but it's not clicking, and Las Vegas needs to take advantage.
Q: If you could, name one underrated player (or someone fans aren't talking about enough) on your roster that you think could cause problems for the Raiders on Sunday.
A: Other than wanting to shout out Efton Chism because of his performance against the Bills last week, I’d say linebacker Christian Elliss. He is an aggressive, explosive defender who hits hard and brings the juice to fuel the defense, especially over the past two years.
His hit on Aaron Rodgers earlier this season went viral for a reason, and if he can bring that to the field on Sunday, we might get another meme-worthy moment, this time with Kirk Cousins.
Our take: Fans should be familiar with Elliss because the Raiders attempted to sign him to an offer sheet last year. Elliss is a major factor in the run game, yes, as is his partner Robert Spillane. But Las Vegas can abuse both of them in the passing attack and neutralize Elliss' strengths.
And shoutout to Chism.
Q: Call your shot: Which former Raider do you think has the best performance against Las Vegas in Week 5?
A: You're going to hate my answer, but I really think it might be Josh McDaniels. I might have chosen Mack Hollins if I didn't think he'd be out on Sunday. But based on how well McDaniels called the game against the Bills last week, I'd like to think he'll stay in his bag against his former team.
He has a chance to keep Maye's performance trending up while also getting revenge against the team he failed to beat in last year's season opener.
Our take: You are correct, Sara. I hate your answer. And I almost didn't publish it because positive words about J*sh McD*n**ls are not supposed to be posted on Just Blog Baby, but I suppose I also believe in a free press... it will get ugly in Raider Nation if the Patriots' offense has tons of success.
Q: Lastly, what is your final score prediction?
A: The Patriots are currently favored by just -3.5 points, so sticking with that, I’ll go with Patriots 24 - Raiders 21.
Our take: Fair enough. Given the immense injuries in New England, I think the Raiders win this one 31-21.
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