New England Patriots: 5 observations from win over Raiders

Setting the tone

It all starts with the defense. The Patriots didn’t force a three and out, but they forced a punt quickly on the Raiders first possession.

It appeared early early on as if Marshawn Lynch was going to grind out 4-5 YPC all night. Fortunately for the Patriots, teams are historically averse to using Lynch too much against them (see XLIX, Super Bowl).

After one Lynch first down, the Raiders chose to go to their other weapons. The Patriots defense shut them down and forced them off the field. From there on out, it was the Patriots on the attack.

The offense was pedal to the metal from their first snap. It didn’t take until the two-minute warning for them to employ the no huddle offense.

Tom Brady and company only know one speed, and it’s about a million mph. This was critical in setting the tone for the game.

The first drive was perfection. It was fast (see paragraph above) and well executed. The Raiders couldn’t get set and had no answer for the Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme.

The first drive moved at a fast pace, but it ate up a lot of the first quarter. It was a 15 play, 7:07 minute drive that covered 87 yards and resulted in a touchdown. Again, perfection.

Tom Brady was perfect on the drive, going 9-for-9 for 65 yards and a touchdown. Dare I say it again?

This torrid pace that they played with right off the bat set the tone for the rest of the game. It’s the reason they got ahead and were able to stay ahead.