Las Vegas Raiders have chance to prove themselves against Patriots
If not now, when? This is the question facing the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. Following a statement win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, the Raiders now take on the New England Patriots. Yes, on a short week, across the country.
It couldn’t be a tougher setup for Las Vegas and head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden last coached a game in Foxborough when something called the Tuck Rule became part of football lore. For Gruden, the Raiders are trying to put one of the better wins in recent history in the rearview mirror. As a result, they’ll hopefully leave the emotion of a stadium-opening affair behind them.
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For Las Vegas, being 2-0 is a fantastic start. It allows for some breathing room as the calendar turns to October in the wild card race. For the time being, keeps it in the conversation for the AFC West title alongside the Kansas City Chiefs. However, a loss to the Patriots, as expected as it may be for many, would dampen the mood. There would be a general thought Las Vegas punched above its proverbial weight on Monday, and settled back to standard on Sunday.
Should the Raiders pull a second consecutive upset, it’ll be without some of their best players. Guard Richie Incognito is out for at least three weeks after being placed on Injured Reserve with an Achilles injury. Meanwhile, rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III will miss Week 3 with a hamstring injury which kept him out of practice on Friday afternoon. Additionally, running back Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller are listed as questionable. Although, it would be surprising if either missed the game.
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For the Las Vegas Raiders, beating New England would not just keep them trending in the right direction for only their second playoff berth since 2002, but also reaffirm Gruden’s plan is taking shape in his third year at the helm. It would give quarterback Derek Carr reason to relax and believe he’s in town for the long haul, while giving the young defense a boost of morale.
Mostly, though, a win over the Patriots — six days after handling the Saints in front of a national audience — would show the Raiders are a legitimate force to deal with in the AFC.
