Raiders take league-best takeaway defense to turnover-prone Patriots

The Raiders open Week 5 at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, and the matchup reads like a ledger with one line that matters. Las Vegas leads the NFL with nine takeaways. New England leads the NFL with 10 giveaways. Whichever column holds up probably settles this one.

Las Vegas has forced an NFL-high 10 fumbles and recovered five, sits fifth with 12 sacks, and has climbed to 11th in points allowed after finishing 25th a year ago, per the Boston Globe. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is not pretending otherwise. "The defense is very opportunistic," he said. "They hunt the football." Drake Maye threw an interception and lost a fumble against Buffalo and was pressured a career-high 21 times.

The cost of entry is a thin offense. The Raiders ruled out receivers Jalen Nailor (concussion) and Dont'e Thornton Jr. (hamstring) plus guard Trey Zuhn III (knee) on the final injury report, and listed Ashton Jeanty questionable with an ankle and foot problem. The team then elevated running back Roman Hemby and receiver Deven Thompkins from the practice squad. If Jeanty is inactive, the carries fall to Mike Washington Jr. and Dylan Laube in a run game that ranks last in the league at 3.1 yards per carry.

New England's sick bay is worse. The Patriots are missing four cornerbacks in Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada, put receiver Mack Hollins and fullback Reggie Gilliam on injured reserve, and list running back Rhamondre Stevenson questionable.

That is the opening Kirk Cousins has been waiting for. At 38 he has 11 touchdown passes in four games, tied for the league lead, and ProFootballTalk notes that only Patrick Mahomes and Kurt Warner have thrown 14 or more in their first five games with a franchise. Both won MVP that season. Cousins is also 0-2 at Gillette, a footnote that stops being a footnote about 4 p.m.

Opinion, stated plainly: against a secondary this depleted, anything under 250 passing yards from Cousins is a wasted afternoon, and the 3-1 record does not buy a second one.

Watch Jeanty's name on the inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff, and watch the trade board. The Athletic listed the Raiders among possible destinations for Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and a receiver room down to this many bodies is an argument that makes itself.