A trip to the desert will bring an end to the New England Patriots’ preseason slate on Friday night. They’ll be running into an old friend in this visit with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels serving in his first year as head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a family reunion.
This is a chance to test the waters before the Patriots rematch the Raiders for real in Week 15 of the regular season, when both teams hope to be vying for a spot in the playoffs.
The competition between close friends or even family is always tougher because bragging rights are on the line. McDaniels would love to show up his old coach and former team, while Patriots coach Bill Belichick would love not to be shown up by his former longtime pupil.
That alone adds an extra layer of excitement for the last exhibition matchup on the schedule. Here’s how to watch Friday’s game.