The Patriots play the Oakland Raiders tomorrow, looking to bounce back from a frustrating and disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills. They had beaten the Bills 15 straight times before then. Wes Welker had a career high 16 receptions and 216 yards, while Brady threw for 386 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he also threw four interceptions. The Raiders offense exposes many weaknesses in the Patriots defense. For one, Darren McFadden is a top 3 running back, and the Patriots run defense may not be able to keep up with the shifty running-back. Since Jason Campbell is also capable of throwing the ball deep, the Patriots have to be wary of that also. However, the Raiders defense is no-where as good as their offense. Tom Brady leads the league in yardage with over 1,300 already, and the trend looks to continue against the Raiders. Look for a high scoring shootout in Oakland tomorrow. McFadden has rushed for a league leading 131 yards per game, with a 171 yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Jets. Haynesworth and Hernandez have been ruled out for tomorrow. Look for Gronkowski and Welker targets tomorrow, along with a Branch target occasionally. Ochocinco hasn't done much, but he could be a factor in this game. Brady's 4 interceptions last week (4) matched the total of all last season. I think he will bounce back in a big way, but it is very hard to bounce back when you throw for over 385 yards for the third game in a row. Both the Patriots and the Raiders are 2-1.
Prediction:
New England 37
Oakland 31
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