Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots Preview

By Hugo Guzman | Wednesday, September 07, 2005 | ( 0 )

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The NFL's first regular season game promises to be a star studded event, and I'm not talking about the pre-game entertainment. The cameras will be focused on Oakland Raiders' newly acquired WR Randy Moss and the New England Patriots QB Tom Brady. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 PM on ABC.

Although the cameras will follow NFL superstars Moss and Brady, it will be the less-heralded role players that will make a difference in this contest. For the New England Patriots, a key will be how their revamped linebacking corps will respond to the loss of key veterans Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi. Guys like Rosevelt Colvin, Monty Beisel, and Chad Brown must step up to fill the void. For the Raiders, the play of quarterback Kerry Collins and running back LaMont Jordan are likely to have a larger impact on the outcome of this game than the play of Moss.

This game could easily become an offensive shootout. Collins, Moss, and the rest of the Oakland Raiders offense has been firing on all cylinders in the preseason. For the New England Patriots, the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Corey Dillon should keep the young and inexperienced Raiders defense on their heels all night long. The Patriots might miss the recently-departed David Patten, but knowing them, they'll probably plug in some youngster without missing a beat. Keep an eye on new wide receiver Tim Dwight.

Expect a relatively high scoring game that could easily be decided by turnovers. Whichever team protects the football better should be the victor.

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