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Richard Seymour doesn't enter many NFL games with something to prove. The guy has done everything an NFL player can do on a football, and it might land him in the Hall of Fame. That said, he has something to prove in this one.
The Patriots traded Seymour because they did not want to pay him. They simply felt he wasn't worth the big investment that he wanted. Richard Seymour and the Raiders disagreed.
While I wouldn't expect him to say it publicly, you better believe that Seymour has had this game circled since the schedule was announced. I doubt there is an opponent in the league that Seymour would rather personally destroy than the Patriots. Jump over for more....
Seymour has shown time and again, that when he is fully healthy, he has the ability to take over games. Look at the Raiders close wins since Seymour's arrival, and you are likely to find a huge play made by Seymour that either turned the momentum or sealed a Raider win.
Seymour has the ability to raise his game to a level that few players can match. I expect him to do just that for this one. Seymour is the heart and soul of this team. More than any other players, the Raiders feed off of the energy of Seymour. He is going to make sure that not only he, but his teammates, are prepared and jacked for the opportunity to meet the challenge of this amazing Patriots offensive attack.
Seymour will undoubtedly face a day of double teams. He will be the focus of the Patriots blocking schemes. His defensive linemates need to exploit the lesser attention paid to him, and Seymour needs to foil the well laid blocking plans of the Patriots.
There is plenty of reasons to suggest that this is exactly what will happen, and in the end, I expect Seymour to make a couple of plays that disrupt the Patriots offense just enough for the Raiders to win a shootout.