Oakland Raiders vs New England Patriots: Breaking Down New England's Game Plan

After bouncing back from a Week 1 loss by dominating the Minnesota Vikings, the New England Patriots are looking to sport a winning record for the first time this season. The Oakland Raiders are the obstacle in the way. They visit Gillette Stadium for the first time since losing 30-20 during the 2005 season.

Here is what New England needs to do to start their first winning streak of the year. 

Patriots' Defense vs. Raiders' Offense

The Raiders have only scored 28 points through their first two games—losses to the New York Jets and Houston Texans—but you can't say that their offense isn't creative.

New England will have to be ready for Wildcat plays, zone-read plays, screens and a varied passing game. Fortunately for the Patriots, the Raiders have a rookie—Derek Carr—manning the trigger.

Carr looks wonderful on horizontal throws—he did that a lot at Fresno State—and is tough to track down when he keeps the ball on the option. Edge players like Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower will need to stay at home to keep him in the pocket.

Jamie Collins and Jerod Mayo will have their work cut out for them inside. Carr thrived on the interior-crossing routes against the Texans and will test New England's linebacking corps early and often. Getting effective jams on the line of scrimmage will be key.

Beck Diefenbach/Associated Press

Tackling will be another point of emphasis with Darren McFadden coming to town. He looked incredibly violent against Houston, running with a reckless abandon that belies his injury history. A Hightower/McFadden collision could tilt the Earth's axis a bit.

Patriots' Offense vs. Raiders' Defense

Stevan Ridley broke the 100-yard barrier against the Vikings and will be looking for a repeat performance against the Raiders. With Oakland's sloppy run fits, Ridley may very well get his wish. Arian Foster exploited some wide open cutback lanes in Week 2 and Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden will look to do the same this Sunday.

Jordan Devey could be a big part of the game plan, as his quickness and agility should help in picking off linebackers at the second level. The Texans' offensive line often used the Raiders' aggressiveness against them and let them fly by the ball-carrier, only to then get a hat on another defender.

That aggressiveness came into play in the at the goal line as well. While Rob Gronkowski will likely garner a bit more attention, it won't go unnoticed in New England that J.J. Watt was able to get wide open on play action. 

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Look for Julian Edelman to continue to be the focus of the New England passing game. Screens, intermediate routes and deep balls are all in his repertoire as of now. Tom Brady trusts him, so you know the ball will be going that way.

What They're Saying

Via Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe, Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels expressed their desire for more balance in their attack going forward:

"

'We’ve got to do a better job as a coaching staff, and I’ve got to do a better job, of creating a little more balance on our team offensively with our personnel, our play calling, our plays, and so forth.'

The person calling the plays—offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels—echoed Belichick’s sentiments.

'We’re never going to go into a game and want to be one-dimensional or predictable with what we’re doing,' said McDaniels. 'Whatever the percentage is, I don’t know. We don’t have a specific number in mind.

'I know that certainly the circumstances in each game are different. If you’re fortunate enough to get a lead, sometimes that changes things. If you’re unfortunate enough to fall behind, that can certainly change things in the other direction, too.

'We just want to try to use all of our skill players that can do good things with the ball.'

"

Running the ball is nice; passing the ball is great. That said, the Patriots offense will really begin to hum when Tom Brady can start using play action to decimate opponents over the middle of the field. When the play-calling is in balance, that is what you will start to see.

Tale of the Tape

Quarterback

Carr is a rookie. Tom Brady is not. That should be the end of the discussion. Put Carr on the road against a defense led by Darrelle Revis and you are going to see some turnovers.

Verdict: Patriots

Running Backs

Ridley, Vereen and Bolden have been doing their job all year, but McFadden looked out of this world against the Texans. If Oakland had a better offensive line, McFadden could be having a monster year. New England is able to hang on to a tie here.

Verdict: Push

Wide Receivers

If this was being decided on raw athleticism, the Raiders would win hands down. Andre Holmes, Denarius Moore and Rod Streater are all big guys who can run. The Patriots' technique and polish, however, give them the advantage.

Verdict: Patriots

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Tight Ends

Outside of Gronkowski, there isn't much talent at tight end in this game. Tim Wright has shown some promise for New England, but he hasn't produced much yet. Mychal Rivera has flashed at times for Oakland, but he is wildly inconsistent.

Verdict: Patriots

Offensive Line

The Patriots win this on paper, but the stars in New England—Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer—haven't played up to their level as of yet this year. Gabe Jackson is a young Raider that bears watching—he could be special.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line

As the Patriots defensive line regains its health—Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones, Michael Buchanan and Vince Wilfork are all recovering from injuries—their production will grow as well. The Raiders are talented on paper, but some players, such as Justin Tuck, didn't always seem too interested in shedding blocks and tackling against Houston.

Verdict: Push

Linebackers

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower on the edge are a scary proposition for any offensive line. Jerod Mayo and Jamie Collins inside add further fuel to the nightmare. Khalil Mack and Sio Moore have a lot of physical talent, but they haven't met their true potential yet.

Verdict: Patriots

Defensive Backs

I'm not sure any defensive back other than Charles Woodson would crack the starting lineup in Foxborough. Woodson may not have aged too much, but Darrelle Revis is in the prime of his career. Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan and Alfonzo Dennard are other Patriots who would be in the Raiders' starting lineup. 

Verdict: Patriots

Special Teams

Sebastian Janikowski and Marquette King are both wildly talented, but the consistency and execution of Stephen Gostkowski and Ryan Allen make this a close matchup. Julian Edelman's return ability tips the scales toward New England.

Verdict: Patriots

Overall: Patriots 6-0-3

On paper, the Patriots have a distinct advantage over the Raiders. However, facing a quarterback for the first time is no simple matter. Expect Tony Sparano—offensive line coach for the Raiders and architect of the Wildcat—to help head coach Dennis Allen come up with something special for New England.

Wednesday's Injury Report Analysis (Via Patriots.com)

Did Not Participate: Don Jones, Jerod Mayo

Limited Participation: Rob Gronkowski, Jamie Collins, Alfonzo Dennard, Julian Edelman, Michael Buchanan, Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones, Ryan Wendell, Shane Vereen

Collins and Dennard look on track to play this week—they missed Week 2—and Mayo's absence wasn't injury related, according to Shalise Manza-Young of the Boston Globe.

"

#Patriots injury report says Jerod Mayo missed practice was not injury related...his wife may have had baby

— shalise manza young (@shalisemyoung) September 17, 2014"

The Patriots could be without core special teams player Don Jones, who is a core special teams player.

Maurice Jones-Drew is the big name on the injury list for the Raiders. He missed the Texans game after undergoing a procedure on his hand and isn't a certainty to play in Week 3.

Stats and figures courtesy of NFL.com.