Two weeks into the season, it appears that the New England Patriots are still one of the AFC’s top teams. That's going to mean trouble for the Las Vegas Raiders and their attempt to stay perfect in the 2020 NFL season.

Coming off the biggest upset of Week 2, the Raiders will visit the Patriots in Week 3. The betting line favors New England by 6.5 points, according to odds compiled by OddsShark. The over/under is 48.

Las Vegas has been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises, defeating the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. New England came two yards shy of keeping its record perfect in Week 2, losing to the Seattle Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football.”

Even in defeat, the Patriots were more impressive than they had been in a Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Russell Wilson is the very early MVP favorite, and he was nearly perfect against New England. Despite the quarterback’s masterful five-touchdown performance, the Patriots would have won if Cam Newton wasn’t stopped just short of the goal line as time expired.

Newton is proving to be a more than adequate replacement for Tom Brady. The veteran ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns when the Patriots controlled the clock in Week 1. Forced into a shootout in Seattle, Newton threw for 397 yards in addition to picking up 47 yards and two scores on the ground.

Drew Brees looked every bit his age in New Orleans’ 34-24 loss in Las Vegas. Newton can still fire the ball down the field and take advantage of a Raiders’ secondary that played poorly in the opener, surrendering 30 points to Teddy Bridgewater and the Carolina Panthers.

The Patriots rank seventh in yards per play, and the Raiders are 22nd. Only Miami and Atlanta have allowed more yards per play than Las Vegas.

Derek Carr has completed more than 73% of his passes with a triple-digit passer rating in consecutive starts. Las Vegas is one of only four teams that have scored at least 30 points in both Week 1 and Week 2.

That streak likely ends Sunday against New England’s defense.

Carr posted a 68.2 passer rating in 2017 when the Patriots routed the Raiders 33-8. As a rookie, Carr posted a 62.6 passer rating in a 16-9 loss against New England.

Expect Bill Belichick to make life difficult for Carr in their third meeting.

Prediction: New England over Las Vegas, 26-17

New England quarterback Cam Newton rushed for two touchdowns in the Patriots' victory over Miami
New England quarterback Cam Newton rushed for two touchdowns in the Patriots' victory over Miami GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Kathryn Riley
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