Game Preview: Week 1: Pats vs. Oakland

Randy Moss this, and Randy Moss that, and Randy Moss the other.

Let me fill in the blanks for you.

-> This: is going to start crying after he gets bumped within the 5-yard buffer for the 12th time in a row.
-> That: is going to cringe the second time down the field after Rodney Harrison hits him the first time.
-> The other: is going to stand at the line of scrimmage in fear for his life.

The Raiders are coming to town and they have revenge on their mind ... again. They still haven't gotten over The Tuck (because they don't understand the rules), and they're going to be all silver and spikey tonight.

Oakland made only two major changes to their 5-11 squad of last year. They acquired free agents Randy Moss from Minnesota and Lamont Jordan from the New York Jets. Talent-wise, Moss and Jordan are upgrades.

I've heard all kinds of speculation about how you have to double-up on Moss, and that will free up the other receivers, open up the running game. How You'll have to account for this, and for that, yada, yada, yada.

Bill Belichick has been preparing for this game for about six months (that's a conservative estimate). He's watched every frame of film available on Moss and the Raiders available. Do you think he's missed something that some jamoke from the Black Hole thought of?

Yes, the Pats will probably double cover Moss most of the time. I'd expect New England will have someone, probably often a linebacker, smashing Moss at the line of scrimmage like they did to St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI. I also expect that the Raider O line is good enough that blitzes up the middle won't work, so you'll see guys coming off the corners frequently. Why? Because Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins is a Drew Bledsoe-type quarterback -- he can't outrun his own shadow, and he's not a particularly quick decision-maker.

I think Turner is going to send in at least two or three trick plays ... maybe closer to six or seven. A flea-flicker to Moss, a halfback option to Moss, a triple reverse to Moss. The Pats may not stop all of them. They'll be prepared for all of them. But, in the long run (60 minutes), it won't matter.

Jordan has the potential to have a decent game, but that won't be Turner's long-term game plan. Turner is going to look for a couple quick strikes, because he knows that if Oakland falls behind, they're finished.

The Patriots are going to dismantle the Raider defense piece by piece. Corey Dillion and Kevin Faulk are going to run around the ends all night long, and Ted Washington, who has never played in a 4-3 scheme, and Warren Sapp are going to be begging for mercy and oxygen. Even the outside linebackers go 285. When they get the defensive line and linebackers following Dillon or Faulk to one side or the other, Belichick will send in a reverse or an end around, and Sapp and Washington are going to outright give up.

Otherwise, Tom Brady is going to pick apart this secondary. Brady will probably hit eight to 10 different receivers, including Dillon and Faulk. I'd expect all three tight ends to catch passes, and Brady to hit receivers everywhere from the line of scrimmage, across the middle, down the sidelines.

I really wouldn't be surprised if Belichick calls a couple trick plays out of spite. That's generally not his style, but he does like to fight fire with fire.

Strange. As Pink Floyd says, "Thought I'd something more to say."

Prediction: New England 45, Oakland 17.