It was a rough start to the NFL season for the New England Patriots, who lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 20-13, marking their first loss of the season and dropping them to 0-1. The Patriots' running game struggled to get going, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry, and Raiders QB Geno Smith threw for 362 yards against the new defense. Coming out of this game, the Patriots did see promise from some players, with a recent addition at linebacker looking good in his debut.
Harold Landry Soars in Patriots Debut
During free agency, the Patriots brought in players who have a history with new head coach Mike Vrabel, one of whom was Harold Landry. Landry was a member of the Tennessee Titans for all six of Vrabel's years as head coach before he was fired following the 2023 season, after going 6-11. Landry returned for the 2024 season before reuniting with his coach in free agency by signing a 3-year, $43.5 million deal.
Landry was one of the bright spots for the Patriots in Week 1 with 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the loss. He'd also generate 5 pressures and 3 run stuffs on the day. With the help of fellow offseason addition Milton Williams, Landry helped what was one of the Patriots' worst position groups last season.
This weekend was also a homecoming of sorts for Landry, who played his college ball over at Boston College. In his 4 years at BC, Landry grew into a premier pass rusher who finished with 16.5 sacks in his junior season. While Landry saw a down year in production, his senior year, he would be selected in the 2nd round of the 2018 draft by the Titans.
Going into next week, the Patriots will need the offense to improve from week 1, as putting up 13 points isn't viable to consistently win games. If Landry can continue his play, then the defense could improve upon its week 1 performance, especially if the Patriots get Christian Gonzalez back from injury. The Patriots will travel to Florida next week to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 14.