Week 1 is finally here as the Las Vegas Raiders are set to take on the New England Patriots this Sunday. Both teams are ushering in new coaching regimes, with Pete Carroll taking over in Las Vegas and Mike Vrabel returning to New England.
Obviously, both Carroll and Vrabel want to get off to a good start in their new stomping grounds, and winning the three key matchups below will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Malcolm Koonce vs. Will Campbell
It’s been well documented that Koonce was robbed of building on his impressive
2023 campaign and having a chance to prove himself in a contract year last season, tearing an ACL a week before the opener. Luckily, the pass-rusher gets a second chance and returns to the Raiders’ defense after signing a one-year, $11.04 million contract this offseason.
Meanwhile, Campbell, the Patriots’ first-round pick, will be making his regular-season debut and should draw plenty of one-on-one matchups with Koonce. The defensive end has primarily lined up on the defense’s right side throughout his career and the No. 4 overall will be the Patriots’ starting left tackle this season.
Also, while most teams would look to give their rookie some help in pass protection, Maxx Crosby commands the most attention on the Raiders’ defensive line. So, Campbell might be left on an island more often than not this Sunday, as New England focuses on giving right tackle Morgan Moses reinforcements against Crosby.
The LSU product was known for his pass protection skills in college, giving up just four sacks and 49 pressures on nearly 1,600 snaps in pass protection during his career, per Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Koonce looks to return to his 2023 form, when he logged 52 pressures (eight sacks) and a 14.2 percent pass-rush win rate.
Raiders IOL vs. Patriots DTs
Las Vegas’ interior offensive line finished last season strong. Guard Dylan Parham posted the highest PFF grade (74.3) of his career, while guard/center Jackson Powers-Johnson gave up just 23 pressures (two sacks) and earned a 70.4 run-blocking grade as a rookie, and guard/center Jordan Meredith proved to be a quality starter by logging the seventh-best mark (80.8) among guards.
However, the new coaching staff has re-shuffled the entire unit, flipping Parham from the right side to the left, moving Powers-Johnson to right guard and putting Meredith at center. That provides some intrigue into how each player will perform at their new spot, and the interior line faces a tough test against New England.
The Patriots opened up the checkbook during free agency, making Milton Williams the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. Not only is the former Eagle coming off a Super Bowl-winning performance, but he also had a career year as a pass-rusher last season with 54 pressures and seven sacks (including the postseason), per PFF.
Additionally, Christian Barmore returns for his fifth season in New England and can also put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension ahead of last season, but unfortunately, blood clots limited him to just four games and 123 total snaps. Barmore is good to go for 2025, though, and racked up 49 pressures (8.5 sacks) and five batted passes two seasons ago, via PFF, to be a potential problem for the Silver and Black.
The good news for the Raiders is that they might have an advantage in the running game. Neither Williams nor Barmore is known for their run defense, while Parham, Powers-Johnson and Meredith were all quality run-blockers last fall.
Kyu Blu Kelly vs. Stefon Diggs
While the cornerback situation is very fluid in Las Vegas, Kelly won the Week 1 starting job over rookie Darien Porter. The third-year pro earned it, allowing just three completions on five targets for 27 yards while collecting two passes defended and a ‘defensive stop’ in coverage during the team’s first two preseason games. However, Sunday will be his first NFL start, and he’s only participated in 32 defensive snaps during the regular season.
Meanwhile, Diggs enters the contest with 857 catches, 10,491 yards and 70 touchdowns during his decade in the league. Throughout his career, the four-time Pro Bowler has been productive from several wide receiver alignments, meaning he’s not someone who sticks to one side of the field. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots’ game plan is to have him test Kelly early and often.
Granted, Diggs is coming off a torn ACL that limited him to just eight games with the Houston Texans last season, and is still looking to build chemistry with his new quarterback, Drake Maye. That should help Kelly and Las Vegas’ secondary keep the six-time 1,000-yard receiver in check, but it still projects to be a tall task for an inexperienced corner.
