The storylines going into Week 5 are strong in Foxborough. The New England Patriots seem energized after their 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, but in the NFL, as soon as you win, you have to turn the page and focus on next week's challenge.

As for the stats, the Las Vegas Raiders are a little clunky. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has proven he can still sling it, but the wide receivers and running game are currently banged up. The Patriots are a little worse for wear too, with injuries on the offensive line, at wide receiver, and in the secondary.

Still, Drake Mayes' confidence return has been key over the last five days. Can it carry the momentum, or will it collapse under pressure again? That point, and many others, is in this week's Patriots Roundtable Read below.

A week and a half ago, the Patriots didn't have an identity; now they seem a little different in that department. The head coach usually shapes a team's identity, and this week, Mike Vrabel seemed to exude the swagger and attitude we've seen from him before. This is a good thing.

Vrabel was a little more animated at the podium after being asked when he was flagged by the ref in the Bills game for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Patriots head coach called the flag on him "a little sensitive." Up until that point, Vrabel hadn't given us much reason to believe he was coaching at the highest level he possibly can. His edginess was on full display last Sunday; let's hope it doesn't go away against the Raiders.

Drake Maye handled the pressure well last week. It was the best he's handled it since late last year. Fans at Highmark Stadium in western New York believed Josh Allen and the Bills would drop 60 points on Maye and the Patriots. Turns out the Patriots quarterback led a fractured roster, with injuries on offense and defense, to a thrilling victory.

Under real pressure, Maye stayed cool in the chaos. He faced 21 pressures and went 11 of 22 for 76 passing yards and one touchdown, with the Bills defense in his face. Not bad for someone who was written off a week and a half ago.

The sore spot is that Maye's ball control is still a nightmare. The Raiders have nine takeaways through their first four games. Maye fumbled the ball three times last week alone and has five total this season (the last two). Coaches need to work this bad habit out of the third-year quarterback before it becomes one of the key reasons their season crumbles.

Before Patriots OC Josh McDaniels returned to Foxborough (again), he spent time as the Raiders' head coach. He led the team for a little under two seasons before being fired in a dramatic exit. McDaniels has publicly dismissed playing the Raiders as a revenge game, but one thing to look forward to is, in a sense, a rematch of last year's Super Bowl.

The Raiders hired former Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their new OC, making this Week 5 matchup a slight rematch of offensive minds from the Super Bowl.

In Week 4, McDnaiels preached consistency to Drake Maye. The pre-snap play-action game plan we saw last week could be duplicated on Sunday against the Raiders defense, as it stops off a threat like Maxx Crosby on the edge.

Hopefully the Patriots' passing attack has found its footing after Week 4's win. However, the rushing game still needs to hit the gas pedal, as its stock is down right now. Statistically, the Patriots have been mediocre.

Over four games, they average just 3.9 yards per carry, for 471 yards between Rhamondre Stevenson and TreyVeyon Henderson. The run game did have an uptick against Buffalo, with the backfield finishing with 143 yards, a season high.

McDaniels likes to run the ball till the passing game finds an opening. This could be an advantage to get things moving out of the backfield, due to the Raiders allowing an average of 5.17 yards per carry.

Rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas proved that even when he's lined up against a seasoned veteran, the Patriots' second-round pick can trouble an opposing offense. That's not the only great thing the Patriots have in the thin edge-rusher room.

Second-year player Elijah Ponder has balanced out the aggressive pass rush, leading the team with 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, which has quietly raised the Patriots to 15th in the league in pass-rush win rate.

Raiders veteran QB Kirk Cousins may still be able to sling it downfield, but he is highly immobile. Ponder, Jacas, and Dre'Mont Jones could be highly effective off the edge in keeping the Raiders offense from putting points on the board.

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