Week 1 of the NFL season is here, and Sunday will be a day of debuts for the New England Patriots. From head coach Mike Vrabel and a number of his staffers to the 27 new players on the Patriots roster, there will be a lot of fresh faces in Foxboro when New England kicks off the 2025 NFL season against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Change is a good thing for the Patriots, who are coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons. Vrabel made it a point to bring in his guys on both the coaching staff and up and down the roster, which also meant he moved on from a lot of New England's leaders from yesteryear. There is a lot of uncertainty and unknown with the Patriots, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of promise surrounding the team.

While we may not see instant results from the massive changes in Foxboro, Vrabel is establishing a new culture for New England football for the long haul. A culture which emphasizes players earning their roles, finishing plays on the field (and bringing violence in the process), and being prepared to win games.

The Patriots are facing a Raiders team that also has a lot of new faces, from Pete Carroll on the sideline to quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty on offense. Like New England, Las Vegas is coming off a 4-13 season and looking to bounce back in 2025.

Sunday is a fresh start for everyone, including second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who has a new offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels and slew of new weapons on offense. Here's what we'll be watching for when the Patriots kick things off against the Raiders in Foxboro.

Mike Vrabel's instant impact on Patriots

Vrabel has brought his own brand of football and a new mindset to New England. Play hard. Play smart. Play fast. And play violent.

The Patriots were, to put it lightly, an absolute mess on and off the field last season. That shouldn't happen under Vrabel, and we should see a functioning football team on Sunday. A team that lines up correctly, knows what play to run, and doesn't get hit with infuriating pre-snap penalties.

One thing Vrabel will not tolerate is his team falling off in the second half on Sunday. Football is a 60-minute game, and he better see 60 minutes of football from his Patriots.

"We actually put a break in there midway through practice where we have two team periods left, and I said, 'You guys are going to think this is some gimmick,' but it's going to be me saying, 'Hey, coaches, get together, tell them this is how practice started, whatever's going on, let's be conscious here to finish strong, win the second half.' And I think it's just a good reminder, and working on our conditioning," Vrabel said earlier this week.

Patriots debuts

Get ready to meet a lot of new players on Sunday. On defense, Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Carlton Davis were added to the mix. Williams was handsomely paid to clog the middle and help New England's edge rushers, and the Pats are expecting Landry and Chaisson to get after the QB along with holdovers Keion White and Christian Elliss. 

Davis' role is going to be even bigger with star corner Christian Gonzalez out for Sunday's game. Davis will likely be New England's No. 1 corner with Alex Austin moving up the depth chart, and could find himself matched up with All Pro tight end Brock Bowers. Davis has the size and physicality to do so, and limiting Bowers' impact is key to keeping the Raiders from putting up a lot of points on the board. 

On offense, Maye now has Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in his receiving corps, and a lot of new faces on the offensive line in new center Garret Bradbury and right tackle Morgan Moses, not to mention a pair of rookies on the left side in Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. He also has a potentially explosive rookie running back in TreVeyon Henderson.

Patriots rookies everywhere

The Patriots have a dozen rookies on their 53-man roster to start the 2025 season. Left tackle Will Campbell and left guard Jared Wilson are being thrown right into the fire as Week 1 starters, and will have to deal with All Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby in their first NFL game. And if Crosby isn't a big enough test, the Raiders pass rush also employs Malcolm Koonce (8 sacks last season), Tyree Wilson (4.5 sacks), and old friend Adam Butler (5 sacks, 10 QB hits).

Expect McDaniels to call for a lot of short passes to keep Maye upright on Sunday. Henderson could be the recipient of a number of those passes, but he can provide fireworks in a number of different ways. He can rip off a long run out, turn a simple wheel route into a touchdown in a hurry, and can also return kicks on special teams. 

Maye will have a pair of rookies in his receiving corps in Kyle Williams and preseason star Efton Chism III. We'll see how much they in Week 1, but either could carve out a big role in the offense by season's end. Williams could become a deep threat for Maye, while Chism will be the backup out of the slot behind DeMario Douglas and play a role on special teams.

Defensively, safety Craig Woodson blew by veterans Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers (who was released last week) on the New England depth chart and is in line to start Sunday and play a huge role on the defense as a rookie. Undrafted edge rusher Elijah Ponder also made the team and will play a core role on special teams and a depth role on defense.

Speaking of special teams, rookies Andres Borregales and long snapper Julian Ashby will both be making their NFL debuts on Sunday. Borregales was a bit shaky in the preseason, but beat out Paker Romo for the starting job in the end. 

Stefon Diggs 

Perhaps the biggest Patriots debut on Sunday will be from Diggs, the four-time Pro Bowler who is coming off a torn ACL last October. But Diggs looked great throughout camp and has ramped up over the last few weeks. Maye said Wednesday he can't wait to see what Diggs can do in game action.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there with him on Sunday. I think you'll see good energy from Stef, and I'm looking forward to getting him the rock and letting him do his thing," said Maye.

Diggs may not be a true No. 1 anymore, but he was on his way to a seventh straight 1,000-yard season before he was hurt last year. The Patriots haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. 

If Diggs is anywhere close to his usual self, he'll be an incredible safety net for Maye in the McDaniels offense.

Drake Maye's first Week 1 start

The Patriots had a great offseason by bringing in Vrabel and a number of key free agents. But what matters most in 2025 is how much Drake Maye evolves and progresses at quarterback.

How does Maye look in McDaniels' system? Can he manage his mistakes and turnovers, and keep himself out of harm's way? Is he ready to put the Patriots on his shoulders? We have several questions about Maye, and will hopefully start to get some answers Sunday afternoon.

This is kind of another rookie season for the 23-year-old with a new OC in McDaniels. But he's not going to get the rookie benefits; results are expected now from the second-year QB. The offense around him should be better, and Maye has to make much better decisions as both a passer and in terms of when he decides to become a runner.

Sunday will be the first Week 1 start of his career, so it'll be interesting to see what Maye's nerves look like when he takes the field. He was a little too amped in his preseason action and it showed, as Maye had a terrible trying-to-do-too-much fumble in the first game and then had a number of high passes in Game 2. 

Look for a lot of quick passes to guys like Diggs, Douglas, Hollins, tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, and Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and Henderson out of the backfield to help mitigate the Raiders' pass rush. McDaniels is going to do whatever he can to help Maye get off to a strong start, while also making sure New England's new-look (and inexperienced on the left side) offensive line doesn't get exposed.

Tune in to New England's Week 1 clash with the Las Vegas Raiders on WBZ-TV -- the television home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay, the Pats and the Raiders go at it at 1 p.m., and we'll wrap it all up on Patriots 5th Quarter on TV38 after the game.