Aug 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reacts during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Why Week 1 Is Already Framed as Ex-Raiders Revenge Game

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 6:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders will travel to the East Coast to take on their AFC rival, the New England Patriots. This game will open up the season for both teams, and they will both look to get off to a good start.

The Raiders will look to change things up this time in the East Coast, because they have not been good in games played on that side of the country. It is going to be a game with a lot of different interesting takes and things to watch.

Both the Raiders and Patriots are going into the season with brand new head coaches who have been good before. They are also looking to get their teams back on track after having poor seasons last season. It is a good matchup for both teams to kick off the season. These two teams know each other pretty well, and a lot of eyes are going to be on this game this Sunday.

Revenge Game

One player from the Patriots who will be looking for a revenge game for the Raiders is defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson. Chaisson was a member of the Silver and Black last season. He had a good season, and he wanted to come back to the Raiders, but the new regime did not bring him back. Chaisson was looking for a new team this offseason, and that is when the Patriots came calling for the former first-round pick.

The talk coming out of New England this offseason has been that Chaisson has been one of the best defensive players on the team. Chaisson will be looking to have a great game against his former team and do whatever he can to slow down the Raiders offense that has been talked about all offseason long.

"Mike Vrabel tells players that OLB K'Lavon Chaisson will be a "game captain" for the season opener against the Raiders," said Mike Reiss of ESPN. "Chaisson, who played for the Raiders in 2024, earned the nod from Vrabel after receiving team captain votes from his peers on defense and special teams."

Mike Vrabel tells players that OLB K'Lavon Chaisson will be a "game captain" for the season opener against the Raiders.

Chaisson, who played for the Raiders in 2024, earned the nod from Vrabel after receiving team captain votes from his peers on defense and special teams. https://t.co/klue5vBfXV
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 1, 2025

The Raiders will look to get off to a 1-0 start this Sunday. They want to start fast, and winning in Week 1 will send a strong statement that they are a different team this season.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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