Oct 15, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) tries to tackle Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) in the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Will the Raiders Start Off 2025 With a Win?

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have made plenty of adjustments across their organization, and they are now positioned to be as successful as they've ever been in the past couple of years. There's so much excitement around the team right now, it feels as if everyone is on board with what their vision is.

Players like AJ Cole and Geno Smith cannot stop raving about the Raiders and their new regime, and for the first time in a long time, there is hope for Raider Nation. Pete Carroll has his players focused, and they'll have to start the season firing on all cylinders if they want to make the most out of their 2025 season.

Their week one matchup is against the New England Patriots, where they'll be traveling to their home stadium to start the season. The last time these two teams played was in 2023, where the Raiders walked out victorious, but they played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

This will be the first time Jakobi Meyers comes back to Gillette Stadium, so it's expected that he'll have a big game against his former team. He's also entering a contract year with the Raiders, so if he starts off the year right, it'll give him a lot of momentum to work off of.

He's in good hands if he continues to work on his chemistry with Smith in the off-season, as he's their primary wide receiver. Another thing to look out for is how both teams ' defenses will react to each other's offenses.

The Raiders want to run the ball, and in this week's one matchup, they'll be looking to get Ashton Jeanty involved early and often. Unfortunately for them, the Patriots boast a solid defensive line that may complicate things for the Raiders' offensive scheme.

If they decide to air it out, the Patriots have plenty of good defensive backs itching to snag the ball out of the air, so they're playing with fire if they continuously throw the ball. On the other hand, a healthy Raiders defensive line will be looking to get home against the quarterback as quickly as they can.

Drake Maye's sophomore season debut could be wrecked by Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby if he doesn't have sufficient protection. This game will be a chess match between two teams trying to get back into competitiveness, and it'll be a good test to see if the Raiders are ready to take that next step.

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

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