Why They Win: New England Patriots Hope to Get Lucky in Las Vegas

The New England Patriots will look to snap a short, yet increasingly dire, losing streak against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday late afternoon.

So much futility in Las Vegas has centered upon the idea of ending a losing streak.

The New England Patriots hope to avoid joining those ranks.

Foxborough's not-so-finest come into a sleepy Sunday showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders reeling after consecutive defeats yielded a combined 69-point margin of defeat. The Patriots are off to their worst start in over two decades and haven't dropped five of their opening six since 1995.

Packed to the brim with former Foxborough friends, Las Vegas doesn't come in much hotter, already facing a 2.5-game deficit in an AFC West overseen by the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. They're playing on relatively short rest, having previously topped the Green Bay Packers on Monday night in Sin City. That triumph ended a three-game losing streak of their own which came after their win over Denver on opening weekend. 

Little more needs to be said about the last time the Patriots left Las Vegas: an ill-fated, ill-advised lateral from current Raider Jakobi Meyers spelled their doom, as ex-Pat Chandler Jones took the fallen ball back for a score en route to a 30-24 triumph.

What: New England Patriots (1-4) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, NV
When: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Who's Won: NE leads 18-15-1
Who's Favored: LVR -3.5

Patriot Gains

New England's run game, namely Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson, was supposed to be its offensive salvation until Mac Jones got it together. As it turns out, Jones is already on a "short leash" and a decimated offensive line has struggled to pave the way for Elliott and Stevenson. Jones' job gets no easier with Maxx Crosby set to chase him down today so New England might try to find some fleeting offensive momentum on the ground.

It's perhaps way too early, even in the Patriots' doomed case, to label a Sunday's game a "now or never situation," but the Patriots need to do something against a Las Vegas run defense that has let up at least 100 on four of five occasions (including 183 in a Week 2 loss to Buffalo). Elliott and Stevenson are slowly running out of options and a trip to Vegas has a chance to be one of their most lucrative remaining opportunities. Unlike the slot machines, they can actually do something about it.

Just Josh With Josh 

The Raiders' run game is equally meandering: after a workhorse season for Josh Jacobs, the newly-minted $12 million man on the one-year deal is struggling to gain traction at a ghastly 2.9 yards per carry. With Vegas quickly losing confidence in former New England heir apparent Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacobs' workload feels like it's only going to increase as the Raiders try to make headway in the AFC playoff picture. 

Even with a plethora of major injuries, the New England run defense has remained one of the few, if not hidden, silver linings of a woebegone season. Allowing the eighth-lowest average carry (3.6 per attempt) in the NFL, the Patriots have to do what they can to further frustrate the rushing advocate. Also working in New England's favor is Las Vegas' drastically low possession rate: at 2:12, the Raiders have the shortest average drive in the NFL.

Don't Kill Bill's Will

At this point, it's cliche ... and, the true evidence for it, frankly, is dwindling ... to say that a Belichick group will automatically come out for a "big" game or that they're presumed to have tricks up their sleeve. But if the Patriots want to get through this lost season as comfortably as possible, they have to, more or less, stand up for Belichick, no matter how much time he has left.

That potential goal multiples fortyfold against the Raiders, who appear to be doing their utmost to form a Patriots tribute band with the talents of Garoppolo, Meyers, head coach Josh McDaniels, and more playing major roles in Sunday's affair. Belichick, true to form, has been steadfast in justifying the departures, so now it's up to those who fulfill the roles vacated (i.e. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Pats' top target in place of Meyers) to justify his faith.

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