Five Patriots to Watch vs. Raiders: Top Pick Makes Debut

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the old saying goes: “Let the games begin.”

The New England Patriots will open the regular season this Sunday, Sept. 7 at 1:00pm ET against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. With preparations nearing their completion, the Patriots are set to take the field with several key free agent additions, some returning familiar faces and a new head coach with the expectations of an entire region on his shoulders.

Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Sunday’s matchup, here are five players that might raise an eyebrow when the Patriots take the field against the Raiders.

Drake Maye

Perhaps best known for his elite arm strength, the 23-year-old Pats starting quarterback also possesses the velocity and touch on the ball to make any throw required of him. Maye has also been equally touted for his exceptional athleticism. When the play breaks down, he possesses both the agility and instinct to turn off-script options into big gains.

Accordingly, this skill set should aid Maye in his preparations to evade Las Vegas’ All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Known for his ability to devise complex offensive schemes, coordinator Josh McDaniels is quite familiar with Crosby, having coached him with the Raiders in 2022 and 2023. As such, McDaniels may find that the best way to keep Crosby from wreaking havoc on Maye is to plan on containing the four-time Pro Bowler, instead of stopping him.

In addition to his attempts to marginally-disrupt Crosby, McDaniels is likley to revisit his pass success against new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll — against whom the Pats’ OC has enjoyed a degree of success. In preparation for Sunday’s matchup, McDaniels has been showing Maye and his offense film from the Patriots’ win over Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, as well as their regular-season matchup in 2020 in which Cam Newton was the Pats’ quarterback. McDaniels, per The Boston Herald’s Zack Cox, is expected to reimplement for Maye some of the QB run concepts he used with the rushing-focused Newton.

Offensive Tackles: Will Campbell, Morgan Moses

How do you solve a two-headed pass-rush problem like Maxx Crosby and Malcom Koonce?

The Pats will be asking themselves that same question as the formidable “silver and black” front seven looks to test a promising, but largely untested offensive line under new coach Doug Marrone.

Though an ankle injury (suffered earlier this week during practice) threatened to postpone his NFL debut, Campbell is projected to play on Sunday. Unfortunately for the rookie, he will have his hands full with Las Vegas’ fearsome twosome. Throughout training camp, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft has had his share of ups and downs. At times, Campbell has looked quite proficient, especially in run blocking during team drills. However, he has also seen his share of difficulty when attempting to resist edge pressure. While the Raiders are likley to situationally test Campbell on passing plays by pitting him against Crosby, he is most often likley to match up with Koonce, who will give Campbell all he can handle on the outside edge.

Conversely, Crosby should see the majority of his time aligning over the right tackle As such, he will draw veteran Morgan Moses. The 11-year veteran has the experience to play a role in the multple blocking techniques which McDaniels‘ is likely to deploy on offense. Although stopping Crosby may be a futile enterprise, containing him may provide the Pats with a chance to allow Maye to open up the office.

New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) and defensive end Keion White (99.) — Jul 23, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) and defensive end Keion White (99) work on a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

DeMario Douglas

Those projecting a reduced snap count for Douglas — based on McDaniels’ perceived penchant for employing a run-heavy strategy — are likley in for a surprise. Those who truly understand a McDaniels’ offense know that he loves to find favorable matchups for his receivers — especially in the slot. Routinely undeterred by questions surrounding his size, the Liberty product is most effective out of the slot in short yardage. In order to compensate for the usual height differential with his opponent, he has developed a knack of anticipating defenders attacking him — a strategy which has served him well to date. However, he also demonstrated the skill set to evade tacklers when he had the ball in his hands in open space.

In short, Douglas' shiftiness and speed made him one of the most explosive playmakers on the roster. He has the prowess to find success both before and after the catch. He has an above-average burst along with the speed in his stride to be a factor in New England’s offensive attack — whether it be horizontally or vertically. If the Raiders deploy Jeremy Chinn as their primary slot defender, look for McDaniels and the Patriots to exploit that matchup.

Alex Austin

Given the absence of second team All-Pro Christian Gonzalez, Austin is the most-likely candidate to assume the starting role opposite Carlton Davis for Sunday’s matchup — parlaying a strong showing during both training camp and the preseason into a notable role in the Pats secondary in 2025. If Davis is deployed as the primary defender against Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Austin could see significant one-on-one matchups opposite former Pats receiver Jakobi Meyers — especially if Bowers and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty are grabbing the attention of New England’s top defenders.

While adequately sized for his position, Austin often plays bigger than his 6’1” frame. His ability to contest the catch, as well as remain in step with his receivers, will need to be in mid-season form to help the Pats neutralize the Raiders pass catches, both in the open and out of the backfield.

New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) makes a catch at minicamp. — Jun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) makes a catch at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Christian Barmore

Just over one year removed from being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, Barmore appears to be on track to play in Sunday’s season-opener — despite having been on a limited pitch count througout the week at practice. At his best, Barmore’s ability to push the pocket and take a stand against the run keeps him among the team’s premier defenders. Though he has typically aligned with the starters on New England’s 4-3 defensive sets, Barmore is likely to be the team’s top choice to start as a right-side defender, opposite newly-acquired defensive lineman Milton Williams.

Barmore’s ability to both rush the passer and take on the double team may be the key in unleashing the Patriots new-look, agressive style defense. As such, look for the Patriots to put together packages that see defenisve end Keion White bump inside and Williams move outside, all while working alongside Barmore — who should remain the constant within the Pats’ front seven on Sunday.

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