At this time last year, New England Patriots fans were basking in the afterglow of an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals to kick off the Jerod Mayo era.

The vibes are very different 12 months later, with fans trying to process what went wrong in the Patriots' ugly 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at a rainy Gillette Stadium to begin the Mike Vrabel era.

As last season's 4-13 debacle proved, there's danger in making grand proclamations -- either positive or negative -- after just one game. So in the interest of fairness, our Patriots Insider Phil Perry will share his "Stock Watch" after each contest this season, highlighting players who excelled and those who struggled on Sunday.

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