The Las Vegas Raiders have a difficult Week 1 matchup to begin the 2025 NFL season, as they'll travel to face the New England Patriots. An early East Coast game against a rising AFC team will be no easy task, but head coach Pete Carroll has thrived in similar situations.
This will be Raider Nation's first opportunity to see quarterback Geno Smith in real action, and fans are also looking forward to seeing young pass-catchers like Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Michael Mayer finding their stride in 2025.
While Las Vegas plays the majority of its games in a dome or stadiums with retractable roofs this season, the Patriots' Gillette Stadium is open. This means that the Raiders will be exposed to the elements to begin the year.
Rainy forecast favors Ashton Jeanty and Raiders vs. Patriots
On Sunday morning, the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore reported from the stadium that it was going to be a weather game for the Silver and Black. According to The Weather Channel, there is a 100% chance of it raining on Sunday during the game.
According to a video from JT The Brick, the rain has already been coming down at Gillette Stadium. These conditions may seem less than optimal for a team that plays in a dome in the desert, but it actually favors the Raiders.
A bit of an interesting weather update this morning from Foxborough just came in.
— JT The Brick (@JTTheBrick) September 7, 2025
Run the ball!
Tackle!
Ball security!#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/JiSuYnzoGt
Las Vegas should have a superior rushing attack to the Patriots, with Ashton Jeanty, Zamir White and Raheem Mostert doing the heavy lifting. New England, by contrast, has Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson.
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New England's defensive line may have more big names with Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Harold Landry III. But against the run, the Raiders' defensive front should fare far better with Maxx Crosby, Adam Butler and Thomas Booker IV.
Plus, the Raiders should be able to eat more on short and intermediate routes with players like Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, relying on yards after the catch to create big plays. Las Vegas' cornerbacks not being tested as much in a potentially run-heavy Patriots offense is also a good thing.
These two teams were already pretty evenly matched and mirrored each other in a lot of ways. But this rainy forecast should throw a wrench into things and be a test of mental fortitude, in which case, advantage to head coach Pete Carroll and the Raiders.