Raiders Have Chance To Repeat One of Last Season's Biggest Upsets
Of the three games the Raiders won last season, the one that stands out most is their season-opening win against the New England Patriots. The season had just started, so it wasn't considered a major upset at the time.
In retrospect, it's crazy to think the Raiders would give the Patriots one of their few losses on the season en route to a Super Bowl appearance. The Raiders will once again face the Patriots in Week 5 next season. Will they be able to pull off the upset two seasons in a row?
Week 5 Matchup
The Raiders won on the road against the Patriots in 2025, and they will be asked to do the same in 2026. One of the most striking things about last season's game was how effectively the Raiders' offense moved the ball. The Patriots were without one of their best defenders in Christian Gonzalez, and it showed.
Geno Smith had his best outing as a Raider against the Patriots secondary, but I don't think that will repeat itself next season. This Patriots team has legitimate playoff experience now, and I'm not sure Kirk Cousins will be comfortable facing a team of this caliber on defense.
What To Look Out for
One of the things I think they need to be able to repeat is how many opportunities Brock Bowers was given throughout the game. He hadn't begun dealing with injury as the season had just started, and that's evident by his five catches and 103 yards to go alongside them.
He's the best receiving weapon the Raiders have, and Klint Kubiak should already be scheming in his head how to get him the most touches as possible. The Patriots' linebackers showed they couldn't stop Bowers from making big plays, and even if Gonzalez is healthy in next season's matchup, I still believe they won't have any answers for him.
This game is an early test for the Raiders, but if they manage to beat them two seasons in a row, that shows character. The Silver and Black are known for the passion with which they play the game, and while that hasn't been around the Raiders for quite some time, this could be the start to establishing that with this new Raiders regime.
Another possibility is that as this young Raiders team grows, they continue to face the Patriots and build a rivalry. It would create a rivalry with plenty of layers. Kubiak already has experience beating the Patriots in the biggest moment, and they have Tom Brady as a minority owner.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Raiders Have Chance To Repeat One of Last Season's Biggest Upsets.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 6:00 AM.