Cam Newton and the New England Patriots nearly pulled off a game-winning drive last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but were stopped short at the goal line. Now, they face the red-hot Las Vegas Raiders, who are coming off a massive win over the New Orleans Saints.

While this matchup may not be one of the most anticipated games of the Week 3 schedule, it certainly is one of the most intriguing.

The Raiders look like a legitimate playoff team. Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have built their team the right way. The Patriots still are contenders in the AFC despite Tom Brady leaving to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This matchup could very well have playoff implications.

On one hand, the Patriots are not likely to win the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills widely being considered a better football team. Las Vegas likely won't win the AFC West due to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, which makes this a contest between two potential Wild Card teams.

Here are four bold predictions for Patriots-Raiders.

4. New England Forces Two Interceptions Against Derek Carr

Even though the Patriots saw quite a few important defenders opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the coronavirus, they have been impressive early on this year. Stephon Gilmore leads the way and other players have stepped up around him. In Week 3 against the Raiders, the Patriots are going to see their defense put on a show.

New England will look to put pressure on Carr all game long. They may not sack him a lot, but a couple of their QB hurries will result in interceptions.

Gilmore will pick off one of those two interceptions, while the other will belong to Devin McCourty. McCourty took back a 43-yard interception last week for a touchdown against the Seahawks. The defense will put the Patriots in a great position to win.

3. James White Puts On A Show

Just ahead of the Patriots' Week 2 game against Seattle, tragedy struck the family of James White. His father and mother were involved in an accident and his father passed away. At this point in time, the condition of his mother is still critical.

For obvious reasons, White sat out of last week's game. We aren't positive that he will play this week, but if he does, White will come out and put on a show. With the memory of his father in mind, White will destroy the Raiders defense.

White will end up rushing for 40 yards, but his main impact will come as a receiver. He will catch seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

2. Cam Newton's Arm Is On Full Display Again

The majority of the hype surrounding Newton this season has come from his ability to run the ball. He has scored four touchdowns on the ground and has picked up 122 yards. No one know if that side of his game would come back following the injuries, but it has been a very pleasant surprise for Patriots fans.

Last week, we got to see a lot of Newton's arm. To say that it looks good would be an understatement. Newton completely silenced his critics with a massive 397-yard and one touchdown performance against a solid Seattle defense.

Granted, Newton did throw an interception, but there is nothing shameful about that. This week against a much weaker Las Vegas secondary, Newton's arm will be on full display once again. Newton will throw for 350 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

1. New England Moves To 2-1 With A Convincing Win

There is no question that the Raiders are going to put up a fight, but they are not going to have enough to get the win. New England is the better team on paper by quite a bit and that will show on the field.

Newton's arm, White's dual-threat ability, and the defense will combine for a convincing win. New England is a legitimate contender and it's time for people to stop finding reasons to doubt them.

We are predicting that the final score of this Week 3 matchup will end up being 35-24 in favor of the Patriots. Bill Belichick and company will get back over .500 with a huge Week 4 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs on the schedule. It will be interesting to see if this game means anything at the end of the year with playoff positioning on the line.