Patriot fans excited ahead of season opener against Raiders on Sunday
Patriot fans excited ahead of season opener against Raiders on Sunday
02:04
Fans are gearing up for the New England Patriots’ season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.Â
The home opener marks a new chapter for the franchise with former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel set to debut as head coach. Fans say the fresh start has brought a renewed sense of optimism after several difficult seasons.Â
“It’s going to be awesome. It’s a home opener. Every time it’s a home opener, the crowd is going wild. So it’s going to be fun,” said Pat Charest, who came all the way from Montreal for the game.
“It’s a big thing for us every year. It’s a new beginning for us, but we’ve been doing it for 15, 20 years that we come up here,” Charest said. “It’s really cool, and we like it a lot.”
For many, the combination of Vrabel’s leadership and second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s development has sparked hope. One of the most optimistic fans is Justin Sobers, who runs an Instagram account dedicated to the team.
“Having Josh McDaniels back and having an experienced head coach now, leading our team. It’s like we might have a well put-together team this year,” Sober said.
Sobers watches the team like a hawk and reports back to his 150,000 Instagram followers. He is tapped into the network of Patriots hopefuls and said that the fanbase is buzzing for what could come this season.Â
“Everyone’s feeling great. We’re feeling really optimistic this year,” Sobers said. “It really feels like playoffs are in play this year. About time. It’s been three years since we made it.”
You can watch the Patriots face off against the Raiders on WBZ-TV. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.Â
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