After the dust settled from the Patriots 20-13 loss to the Raiders on Sunday, we all immediately defaulted to handing out pieces of the blame pie for a disappointing start to the Mike Vrabel era.

Like most, my knee-jerk reaction was to highlight the issues on both sides of the ball in the passing game. Defensively, the Patriots defense surrendered nine explosive pass plays. Offensively, a shaky performance from second-year QB Drake Maye, especially in the second half. However, during my drive home from Gillette Stadium on Sunday night, it set in that New England's issues offensively all relate to their struggles running the football. The Pats only had 60 rushing yards on 18 attempts vs. the Raiders, generating -0.33 expected points added and 3.3 yards per carry with a 35% success rate. That EPA output ranks in the 14th percentile, and isn't indicative of the identity the Patriots want to play with this season.

Due to their run-game struggles, OC Josh McDaniels went away from the run in the second half, only calling runs three times for 10 second-half rushing yards. The play-calling led to Maye dropping back to pass a career-high 53 times, which isn't a winning formula. Until the Patriots pass-game infrastructure is more stable and their young quarterback is a more consistent down-to-down passer, New England isn't built to be a high-volume passing attack. The Pats need to run effectively to sequence drives together, set up play-action, scheme open receivers, protect the offensive line, and take the pressure off Maye.

Imagining a viable Patriots offense this season is envisioning a run-heavy operation that unlocks Maye's elite physical traits by featuring him in the rushing attack and giving him opportunities to push the ball down the field with schemed-up shot plays. When you ask him to drop back 53 times and pick apart a Vegas-3 defense that forces you to nickel and dime down the field, the results will be mixed for Maye, as they were in Week 1. Eventually, you hope he can win games like Sunday's loss, but the 23-year-old is still working on his pass-game consistency.

Based on his remarks over the last few days since Sunday's loss, it appears the head coach agrees that the run game must improve.

"We've got to help [Maye] out," Vrabel said post-game on Sunday. "We have to be more balanced. We have to use our run actions and be able to run the football. It's hard to turn it into a drop-back passing game in this league. That's just the facts. When they're up two scores and they're in their 3rd down package, we just don't want to ever live in that world."

Vrabel re-emphasized that same sentiment at his Monday morning press conference: "The bottom line is we have to run the ball better and we have to run it more efficiently. That opens up some more of the stuff that we're doing, can do and want to be able to do so that it's not just a drop-back passing game."

Given their coaching histories, it was surprising that a McDaniels and Vrabel-led offense struggled to run the ball vs. a vulnerable Vegas run defense. In Tennessee, Vrabel's offenses produced the sixth-best EPA average in the NFL from 2018 to 2023. New England was second in rush EPA in McDaniels's last two seasons in Foxboro (2020-21), and RB Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards in his lone full season as Raiders head coach. These are two coaches who usually run the ball effectively. Yes, Vrabel had Derrick Henry with the Titans, but the current Pats have good running backs; that's not what's holding them back.

Obviously, it's only one game, and jumping to conclusions based on four quarters of football is premature. And the passing offense and defense need to be better moving forward. Still, the Patriots best path forward offensively is building it around an effective rushing attack, so they must start establishing that identity next week in Miami.

Here are more takeaways and quick-hit film notes from the Patriots loss to the Raiders After Further Review.

So, What Went Wrong for the Pats Run Game vs. the Raiders?

After setting the table on the importance of the run game, the obvious next question is, why did the Patriots struggle to run the football against the Raiders on Sunday?

As Vrabel explained in his day-after press conference, it takes all 11 players to run an effective play on offense. Maye and McDaniels need to get the offense in the right run play, the blockers need to block the right defenders effectively, and the ball carriers need to find daylight. On Sunday, a combination of factors led to poor rushing production.

"To have a successful offensive play, it takes really everybody. It takes the play caller, right? Getting the play in efficiently, it takes us being able to identify the players that we need to block, the ones that we're not going to be able to block and the ones that when we block them and we're in combination, that we have to move them, and then the backs have to have to run where they're not," Vrabel told reporters on Monday.

After reviewing the film, a few things stood out about the Pats run game. First, they weren't generating movement on the line of scrimmage, and plays were dead before blockers could work up to the second level on pulls, leads, and climbs. If you don't move bodies, as Vrabel said, it will be tough sledding regardless of how good your backs are at toting the rock.

On their traditional runs, the Patriots were inconsistent in blocking the Raiders linebackers at the second level of the defense on their lead and pull plays. Sometimes, missed assignments at the first level caused those working up to the linebackers to run into speed bumps. If you want to get the run game rolling, getting blocks to the second level to spring runners for bigger gains is a must in the Pats gap-heavy scheme, which oftentimes uses lead blockers from the backfield.

Speaking of scheme, McDaniels leveraged Maye's mobility on a few occasions, something we've been clamoring for since the 2024 draft. McDaniels called a nice power-read shovel design, a speed-option, and an RPO-zone read that produced successful runs. In fact, New England's best runs were when Maye's legs were a factor. Although the Patriots probably don't want to run him too often, using Maye's rushing ability to their advantage on designed runs or options plays is a necessary risk.

Pre-snap motion is another scheme-related wrinkle we'll continue to pound the table for this season. In Week 1, the Pats ranked 30th in motion rate on designed run plays (50%), motioning at the snap just six times. For comparison, the league-average motion rate was 68.5% in the NFL's opening week, while the Rams motioned on a league-high 95.7% of their run plays. Motion stresses the defense by forcing pre-snap communication, bumping defenders out of gaps at the point of attack, creating advantageous blocking angles, opening space into the sidelines, and making for easier play-sequencing off play-action. Simply put, traditionally running the ball right at the defense from stagnant formations is a difficult way to live.

To get the run game going, the Patriots might need to unleash their second-year quarterback, while being more creative with pre-snap window dressing.

Quick-Hit Film Notes From Pats-Raiders After Further Review

Offense

- My final tally for Maye was 12 plus plays to 15 minus throws/decisions. As the audio breakdown above details, there were some standout throws on this tape for the Pats QB, specifically the 24-yard dig to WR Kayshon Boutte and a 19-yard back-shoulder seam to TE Hunter Henry. However, there were at least six instances where accuracy/ball placement were issues for Maye, while he also passed up completions underneath zone structures and created some of his own pressure.

- Rookie LT Will Campbell had a shaky four-play sequence involving a strip-sack and a false start on 4th-and-5, forcing the Patriots to punt. However, Campbell was solid in his true pass sets. He maintained his inside-out leverage well, sliding his feet to mirror an inside spin (Koonce) for a standout rep and doing enough to run edge rushers past his quarterback. In the run game, you'd ideally like to see more movement from Campbell, who has that in him. Still, this was a good start for the No. 4 overall pick, who could've gotten a better chip from RB Rhamondre Stevenson on the strip sack. If that's the level of pass-blocking the Patriots get from Campbell for 17 games, we'd take it (note: we gave the Tyree Wilson sack to Maye for stepping up into pressure).

- Rookie LG Jared Wilson seemed to hit a wall in the fourth quarter, losing a few 1-on-1 battles with old friend Adam Butler late. Wilson was also involved in a mental breakdown where he and C Garrett Bradbury both blocked the NT, leaving Tyree Willson unblocked for pressure, and Wilson was called for a hold on a run play. The one thing you see with Wilson is some overextension flying off the ball or throwing his punch aggressively, allowing savvy rushers to swim, spin, or use a push-pull technique to beat his block. That seems coachable. Again, the high pressure total snowballed on him late when the Pats were down two scores.

- RT Morgan Moses battled with Raiders star Maxx Crosby. From this perspective, Moses avoided quick losses vs. Crosby, maintaining the inside to force Crosby to go around his outside edge, which you'll live with. There were some short corners, and stunts gave the right side problems, but Moses only allowed three hurries on 18 one-on-one matchups vs. Crosby.

- RG Mike Onwenu got beat by Crosby on a T/E stunt that caused pressure on Maye's interception, didn't hold his block on a third-and-1 stuff, and couldn't generate movement on a pull near the goal-line on a run play that had a chance to score. Moses and Onwenu's chemistry on stunt schemes is a work in progress, so we'll continue to monitor that each week—the line as a whole needs to improve vs. schemed pressure.

- Like the rest of the line, C Garrett Bradbury had his ups and downs in the run game, but he had a clean sheet in pass protection, helping maintain solid depth to the pocket. However, Bradbury wasn't tested much in 1-on-1 pass protection, which could change moving forward.

- WR Kayshon Boutte ran physical routes en route to his second 100-yard game of his career. There were a few catches that were borderline push-offs, but Boutte had great chemistry with Maye on back-shoulder fades and comebackers, while he also made some tough catches on dig routes into crowded areas – a great start to the season for Boutte.

- WR DeMario Douglas' box score stats don't look pretty: two catches on seven targets for -2 yards and a touchdown. Plus, he dropped an on-target throw from Maye. However, Pop was open on the first third down of the game and a few other occasions where Maye passed up underneath throws – a weird game for the third-year pro.

- WR Stefon Diggs was the Pats third receiver usage-wise, and his vertical juice was inconsistent in his first game back from a 10-month ACL recovery. We'll give Diggs grace while he works his way back from a major injury, and he was a QB-friendly target on his six catches, working underneath the defense and uncovering on a key third-down slant. At the very least, Diggs can find the soft spots underneath zones and move the chains on third down.

- TE Hunter Henry continues to be Maye's go-to receiver, making a spectacular catch on a back-shoulder seam that took an incredible adjustment. Henry also snuck into a zone void on his 27-yard explosive. There was one play where he stopped his route, which nearly led to a pick, and all three TE/FBs could've blocked better in the run game.

- Rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson should get more chances in space and on vertical routes moving forward. Vegas played soft cover-three and two-deep zones, but Henderson is this team's best big-play threat. The Pats must involve him in more than just screens and passes into the flats. Stevenson and Henderson might've left some rushing yards on the table. There were a few iffy decisions where the Pats RB duo ran into the crowd rather than bouncing or cutting back into open rushing lanes.

- WR Kyle Williams ran a nice comebacker on his 12-yard completion. Williams's vertical speed adds a different element if they can't get the non-Boutte receivers going.

- QB Pressures: Wilson (5), Moses (5), Campbell (sack, 4), Onwenu (3), Bradbury (0).

Defense

- Although Raiders QB Geno Smith's performance (63.0 QBR) and the nine explosive plays were the story, the Patriots defense was close to playing their brand of football. Based on the scheme they're running, Vrabel and DC Terrell Williams's style is a bit boom-or-bust, and the aggressiveness (40% blitz rate) certainly led to some highs and lows on Sunday.

For example, the Pats blitzing led to three sacks, with their best marriage between rush and coverage in the example above. The double team on Raiders TE Brock Bowers was a nice wrinkle on 2nd-and-10, and the five-man rush package did its thing to put Vegas in third-and-long, stalling out the Raiders initial two-minute drill before halftime.

New England's pressure also saved them from allowing big completions at times. For example, the Pats overloaded the right side of the Raiders O-Line with a six-man pressure here. It looks like they're playing a three-deep fire zone, and Bowers's sail route floods the right sideline where he flashes wide-open for a big play. But the blitz produces a free runner (S Jaylinn Hawkins) while Harold Landry wins off the edge with a good rush on the right tackle, forcing Smith to take a sack on third down.

The issues for the Pats pass defense came when their blitzes didn't get home, or Smith bought just enough time for receivers to uncover. Above, New England rushes six with man coverage behind it (man-free). With only deep post-safety help, Hawkins is left 1-on-1 with Bowers in space, and the Raiders tight end wins easily on a slant for a 38-yard gain.

Defensively, allowing +0.38 EPA per drop-back (87th percentile) and nine explosives isn't ideal. Still, you see the foundation for a defense that can pressure the QB (37.5% pressure rate) and play man coverage, especially once All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez returns and elevates the play of the Patriots secondary. For better or worse, this is how the defense seems to play, with big plays going each way.

- The lack of pressure from four-man rushes was slightly disappointing. The Pats only generated a 20% pressure rate with four rushers, with all four of their sacks coming with five-plus rushers. That might be why Williams was aggressive with his blitz calls. The lack of 1-on-1 pass rush winners was showing up on their standard rushes.

- If the Patriots continue to dial up pressure, exposing the backend, the one small concern is with their linebackers and safeties in coverage. More specifically, covering dynamic pass-catching tight ends. New England had a few bracket calls up their sleeve for Bowers, but he also beat Hawkins in man-to-man on the 38-yarder and got loose a few times in zone (23-yard seam, 30-yard wheel). Bowers was also open for at least three more completions, but the pressure got home twice, and he had a drop. Overall, the coverage was a mixed bag for the Pats secondary across the board.

- EDGE Harold Landry picked up where he left off in Vrabel's last season in Tennessee with a team-high eight pressures and a pair of run stuffs. Landry cleaned up on his first full sack, but his wrap rush on a T/E stunt for his second full sack was smooth. He also gave Raiders RT DJ Glaze problems with his speed and bend off the edge. Landry can really corner the edge by dipping underneath tackles, and his run defense slanting or setting the edge was solid, too -- a good all-around performance.

- DT Milton Williams was noticeably disruptive throughout this game with four total pressures and a run stuff. Williams's ability to quickly get on the edges and knife into gaps allowed for several disruptions. His pressures came on an inside slant rush, push-pull technique, punch-rip, and a vintage Williams bull rush. He has an impressive first step, balance, and speed-to-power to quickly get on the interior's edges and ride through soft corners. Williams's tape was a lot of fun.

- The Patriots run defense settled down after a leaky start, where alignment issues and pre-snap communication seemed to lead to open gaps. Once they sorted that out, they held 2025 sixth-overall pick Ashton Jeanty in check (2.0 YPC). To combat the Raiders zone schemes, the Pats slanted the line with the interior defensive line taking the inside gaps while second-level defenders contained the edges. Again, once they settled down from an assignment standpoint, their run defense was solid.

- S Jaylinn Hawkins rode the rollercoaster, starting opposite rookie Craig Woodson at safety. Hawkins caught a deflected pass for an interception, logged a sack, and a run TFL. However, he also gave up a 26-yard TD and a 38-yard completion to Bowers. Hawkins makes some instinctive plays in the rush and around the ball, but his man coverage reps were shaky.

- CB Carlton Davis had two pass breakups, one on third down and another that led to a huge interception, but he also got beat on a vertical route by WR Dont'e Thornton on a key third down late in the game (36 yards on third-and-20). Overall, Davis was solid outside the Thornton play, with some standout coverage reps on Bowers and Meyers.

- CB Alex Austin had a nice coverage rep on Bowers, knocking away a backside slant for a pass breakup. However, he also allowed a key 23-yard completion to WR Jack Bech in man coverage where the Pats doubled Bowers and Meyers, and Meyers caught a 23-yard stop route in front of Austin in a quarters coverage. The Bech completion was an example where the Pats missed Gonzo. With all the attention on Bowers and Meyers, Austin was on an island.

- CB Marcus Jones was one the scene for Bowers's 30-yard completion on a post-wheel concept into a cover-three zone. With his eyes in the backfield, Geno pump-faked to an under route, causing Jones to bite, and then Bowers snuck behind him on the wheel up the right sideline. On a positive note, Jones made a great screen tackle on third down and undercut a shallow crosser, nearly intercepting the pass in man-to-man.

- DT Christian Barmore might be shaking the rust off still. His balance/body control and rush rhythm were a little off. But he did set some solid picks on line stunts, logged two run stuffs, one where he flashed vintage power on a press-and-shed, and registered a hurry. The Pats need more from Barmore, but we'll give him grace while he works his way back.

- S Craig Woodson kept himself out of trouble with just an eight-yard completion allowed into his coverage. Woodson did get beat in man-to-man by Bowers, but the ball wasn't thrown, and had missed a tackle. Overall, you'll take that performance from a rookie in his first NFL game.

- LB Robert Spillane logged four pressures as an off-ball blitzer. However, he also missed three tackles and appeared to lose contain on an 11-yard scramble. LB Christian Elliss was inconsistent as a zone-dropper between the numbers, allowing a team-high six catches for 69 yards into his coverage. Again, linebacker play in coverage is something to monitor.

- Pressure: Landry (8, 2.5 sacks), Williams (4), Spillane (4), Chaisson (2, sack), Hawkins (sack), Farmer (1), Barmore (1), Tonga (1). Run stuffs: Barmore (2), Jones (2), Tonga (2), Landry (2), one apiece (Woodson, Austin, Dugger, Gibbens, Durden, Williams, Hawkins).

- Hawkins (3/3/88 yards/TD/INT), Elliss (6/6/69 yards), Davis (7/3/68 yards/2 PBUs), Austin (5/3/55 yards/PBU), Jones (4/2/34 yards/PBU), Spillane (3/3/26 yards), James (1/1/11 yards), Woodson (2/2/6 yards), Pettus (2/1/5 yards).

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer