New England Patriots Week 11: Game day thoughts vs. Oakland Raiders

Thoughts on the game

Andy Hart and Tedy Bruschi think Brandin Cooks is in for a great day. Probably right, but Oakland could give Cooks a lot of coverage – thus leaving other guys open. Last week, even Dwayne Allen finally caught a pass – and for a touchdown – so he, Phillip Dorsett, Martellus Bennett and James Develin may be targeted by Brady instead.

(Hart, BTW, dissed the defense, predicting the Raiders will get 24 points; I think the Pats can hold Oakland to under that. We’ll see.)

Note that the Pats stayed in the thin air of Colorado this past week to prep for the thin air of Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium while the Raiders enjoyed the coastal breezes. Will the difference factor in? I think so!

The Raiders’ Record? Not all that impressive! Their one-point win over the Chiefs is the only highlight of their season while their other victims have been the Jets, the Titans, and the incredibly inept Dolphins last week. They’ve lost every time they’ve faced a good team (save for their win over the Chiefs) and to some bad ones as well: the Ravens (30-17), the Chargers (by a point), the Bills (34-14), the Redskins and the Broncos (back in Week 4 when Denver was still good). However, they do have a better record than Denver.

At the beginning of the season, I think most analysts predicted a much closer game, but with the way both clubs have played, this game looks much more comfortable. Considering how well all three phases – offense, defense and special teams – worked together last week, I am predicting another New England Patriots win I just hope there are no injuries to either team!

Final score: Patriots 30 Raiders 21