What the Raiders are saying about Pats ahead of season opener

For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, the Raiders will visit the Patriots in Foxborough without Bill Belichick prowling the sidelines.

From Tom Brady’s triumph in the Tuck Rule game to Jakobi Meyers’s ill-fated lateral in Las Vegas, memorable moments tend to happen when the Patriots and Raiders get together.

Now, both Meyers and Brady have switched sides. Meyers will suit up wearing silver and black on Sunday, and Brady has since become a minority owner of the Las Vegas franchise.

The Mike Vrabel era begins Sunday for the Patriots, and the former New England linebacker won’t be the only familiar face among the coaching ranks.

Former Patriots coach Pete Carroll took over as Las Vegas’s head coach during the offseason. New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had a brief stint as head coach of the Raiders.

Here’s what Carroll and a few notable Raiders players had to say about Sunday’s matchup.

HC Pete Carroll

On what stands out about the Patriots: “Josh [McDaniels] has run the ball a lot in his history and Mike Vrabel wants to run the football too. They’re very physcial about it, the running backs run really hard, and Josh has traditionally had a really downhill attack. It’s pretty classic, and it’s really good.”

On Drake Maye’s running ability: “It’s absolutely in the middle of the preparation because he almost ran for 500 yards last year. I think our numbers were that he’s the second-most scrambling guy of the last year. We know that he can take off and run and make things happen. He did it in preseason and made it look easy. That’s a big factor in their favor.”

On whether playing the Patriots still means something to him: “Yeah, it does.”

On what stands out about New England’s front seven: “Both the inside guys are really good. Milton [Williams] had a terrific season last year and has had a number of good years to build it up. They’re legit, so we have issues with those guys right off the bat.”

WR Jakobi Meyers

On whether he’s pumped to play the Patriots: “Yeah, because I played here. Obviously I’m human. I’m excited to get back to a familiar spot. But, as far as the on the field, I’m going to be excited to be on the field regardless no matter if it was there, here, wherever for real. I’m going to go out there and enjoy it.”

On separating his emotions from on-field business: “That’s probably the hardest part. I’ve got to give a shoutout to my teammates because if it wasn’t for them, I would probably do the same thing everybody else does. You’ve got to find a way to separate yourself, honestly from the B.S. and all the business. My teammates have my back, I’ve got their back and I’m going to rock out with them.

On whether he expects his trade request to be honored: “Honestly, I don’t even know to be honest. We’re going to see. We’re all going to find out together. Whatever they want to do, they’re going to do. But, if they don’t I’m going to be good regardless, so we’re chilling.”

RB Ashton Jeanty

On the Patriots’ defensive line: “They’re a great group. Some of the guys are more physical, especially the defensive ends setting that edge using speed and great moves. Milton, [Barmore], being physical guys, disrupting the run and stuff like that.”

OC Chip Kelly

On what sticks out about the front seven: “Really formidable. There may be nine new starters on that defense. [Christian] Barmore was there before. Milton Williams, he’s coming off a Super Bowl. Harold Landry is a player that everybody in this league knows about. I think the strength of their defense is going to be their front seven, and that’s what you have to be prepared for.”

DC Patrick Graham

On Josh McDaniels: “He’s one of the best competitors I’ve been around. One of the smartest coaches I’ve ever been around, understands all three facets of the game. I’m appreciative of him bringing me out here when he brought me out here and the things I learned from him.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.