Raiders Taking Top 10 Offense Into Week 5 Battle With Patriots

The Las Vegas Raiders are having an excellent start to the season and though the team suffered its first loss at the hands of the rival Kansas City Chiefs in a close and exciting game in Week 4, they showed that they can do some special things this season if health permits.

The Raiders dropped the thrilling 30-27 game but the offense shined like it has all season long. Las Vegas is averaging 28.8 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the National Football League while veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins slings the ball 250 yards per game (ninth).

Cousins is proving to be a terrific mentor for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who was expected to be in the driver’s seat soon if not now already, but Cousins is playing at a high level in his 15th season. The four-time Pro Bowler has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 1,026 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions through four games.

He will go up against a New England Patriots team that just handed the Buffalo Bills their first loss of the season but allowed 26 points to Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense. The Patriots allow the sixth-fewest points per game (19.3) and are stingy through the air (fifth-fewest passing yards allowed per game).

This week will be a good test for star running back Ashton Jeanty and the Raiders running game, which is 24th in rushing yards per game (93). Jeanty has gotten the bulk of the carries for Las Vegas (78/119, 65.5 percent) but is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry, good for 40th in the NFL.

Jeanty does a lot of his damage in the passing game, but he may struggle if the Patriots’ defensive front creates chaos, even if they can’t sack the immobile Cousins.

The Patriots offense hasn’t supported the defense well, and Most Valuable Player runner-up Drake Maye has taken a major step back this season. Maye has just four touchdowns to seven interceptions while completing just 62.4 percent of his passes, so the Raiders can certainly have some success against the young QB.

Las Vegas’ defense is cooking this season after being the worst in the sport in 2025 – leading the NFL in turnovers (nine), tying for ninth-fewest points allowed per game (21) but allowing 337.3 yards per game, placing them in the bottom half of the NFL (19th).

It won’t be easy for the Raiders to march into Foxborough and knock off the Super Bowl runner-up, but this team is playing very well right now.