As of today, August 29th, 2020, there are two weeks until the Las Vegas Raiders take on the Carolina Panthers in week one. Here at BroSports, we’re going to release one Raiders game prediction a day until kickoff. We’re going to take a look at how we think the Raiders will match up with each opponent, what we think the score will be, and track those Raiders wins and losses throughout the season.
Today we look at one of the team’s more curious games, a trek across the country to play the Bradyless New England Patriots.
Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Predictions: Week Three
The Patriots at a Glance
Any other year, this is an open/shut easy loss for the Raiders. Traveling to the east coast to take on the demonic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? Forget about it. But… they aren’t the same Patriots.
Tom Brady is in Tampa Bay. Rob Gronkowski joined him. Marcus Cannon, Dont’a Hightower, Matt LaCosse, Patrick Chung, Dan Vitale, and others have opted out of the season altogether. A year ago, they limped into the playoffs and were knocked out in the first round. Now? You hate to say they’re vulnerable, but they’re hardly Super Bowl contenders.
It looks like Cam Newton is the starting quarterback, though he won’t have a ton of help on offense. The defense should still be stingy, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, but the offense? Might be one of the least threatening in the entire league.
Tank for Trevor
Would anyone really be surprised if all the opt-outs were by design? If Bill Belichick told his players that the plan was to win very few games in 2020 so they’d be in position to take Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, a kid that has been highly touted as the “next big thing” since he was 18? Of all the sneaky, underhanded things that his Patriots have done over the years, would you really be shocked by something as commonplace as tanking?
The “Brady vs. Belichick” people would have a field day, but Bill’s more rabid defenders would blame COVID-19. After all, eight opt-outs, including multiple starters? That’s more than any other team and a pretty difficult hurdle to overcome.
I’m not saying this is what the Patriots are doing, I’m just saying I don’t believe a Bill Belichick Patriots team is capable of having a losing record.
The Prediction
I think the Raiders can win this one. I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but I don’t have high hopes for the Patriots offense, and I think their defense is a little overrated. They gave up almost 200 yards to an Alabama running back in Derrick Henry, at home, without opt-outs in the playoffs. If only someone else had an Alabama running back…
Narcissistic Penguin 
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