Bedard: Surprising Raiders will bring a unique challenge to beat-up Patriots with TE Brock Bowers, DE Maxx Crosby

It's kind of fitting that the 2001 Patriots — the team that changed everything about Boston as a sports town in the modern era — will be honored on Sunday for the 25th anniversary of their world championship season.

And not just because the Raiders, victims of the Tuck Rule/Snow Game, are in town, although that makes it a little more fun.

These Raiders are coming with two of the best weapons on either side of the ball in today's NFL: tight end Brock Bowers and defensive end Maxx Crosby. If the 2001 Patriots led by Bill Belichick were on the other sideline on Sunday, we know what would happen. The team and defensive-minded head coach who basically invented making the other team play left-handed would do everything in their power to limit Bowers and Crosby's impact. Essentially, they'd tell the Raiders, "Go ahead and beat us with anyone else."

With veteran dynasty Patriots Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels leading the charge for the present-day group, I'm going to assume they'll try to do that on Sunday.

I wish them luck.

This is a pretty unique challenge. You can start by saying offenses and defenses are a little more complicated than they were in 2001.

Let's start with Bowers. Giardi dug into the issues defending the weapon — don't even bother calling him a tight end. He's 6-3, 243 pounds and runs like a receiver with 4.5 speed and agility. Greg Cosell of NFL Matchup gave a good look at how they use him in different ways:

What I see schematically is this, and it's brilliant, by head coach Klint Kubiak: a high percentage of their pass game is with Bowers as the No. 1 option. How the defense defends Bowers as the first option determines where Kirk Cousins, operating this system quickly and decisively, goes with the football. This is what makes it tough on defenses. The Raiders usually run Bowers as part of two- or three-level options in route combinations, and they'll mix up how they use him. Bowers could be the short, quick first option. If two defenders jump Bowers, that should leave something open underneath. The same goes for if Bowers is the intermediate or deep threat. Cousins adjusts to how the defense defends Bowers. Either he's open, or Cousins should have other viable options. It's not dissimilar to how the Patriots used Rob Gronkowski (traditional TE Michael Mayer) and Aaron Hernandez (Bowers). Or, with receivers, Randy Moss (Bowers) and Wes Welker (Mayer). Imagine if the Raiders had a true weapon at receiver.

I'm sure you're asking yourself, "If this is so brilliant, why doesn't Josh McDaniels do something similar?"

Well, the Patriots don't have anyone like Bowers, or even close. I will say, however, that I do think they were building toward something similar with