The New England Patriots and their fan base have reason to be optimistic heading into a Week 1 battle with the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. The Pats will be playing a winnable game at home, setting up a favorable beginning to the Mike Vrabel era in New England.

Of course, the Raiders — under new head coach Pete Carroll — are more than capable of spoiling Vrabel’s debut, especially considering that Las Vegas boasts some menacing weapons that the Patriots might struggle to deal with defensively.

At the top of that list, according to Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, is second-year beast Brock Bowers. The 22-year-old tight end was a first-team All-Pro in his rookie season last year and finished No. 2 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Washington Commander

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