The New England Patriots had a slow start in a season opener against Las Vegas, and despite the home team finding their footing in the second quarter, the Raiders ran away with the game in the second half for a 20-13 victory.
Drake Maye spread the ball out among his offense, throwing for 287 yards and completing 30 of his 46 attempts with a touchdown and interception. The quarterback also rushed for 11 yards on four carries.
Kayson Boutte led receivers with 103 yards on six receptions, followed by Stefon Diggs with 57 yards on six catches and tight end Hunter Henry with 66 yards on four catches. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson led the effort on the ground with 27 yards on five carries and had 24 receiving yards on six receptions.
On defense, PATRIOTS safety Jaylinn Hawkins came up with a sack and an interception, and Harold Landry III had 2.5 sacks for a team total of four.
It wasn't enough to best Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (362 passing yards) or All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers (103 yards on five receptions).
Here's how it all played out for the Patriots:
1. DEFENSE LEADS TO OFFENSE
Smith targeted Bowers on the first play of the game for a 23-yard pass, and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty helped Las Vegas accumulate 13 more yards before a 26-yard pass to receiver Tre Tucker helped the Raiders score first. The play converted a third-and-11, and the touchdown capped off a nine-play drive that took just under three minutes.
Patriots running back Antonio Gibson gave the Patriots great field position to work with after a 41-yard kickoff, but the offense couldn't take advantage after going three-and-out.
Later in the quarter, the Patriots managed to steal the ball back when newly acquired cornerback Carlton Davis III tipped a pass from Smith intended for Bowers into the hands of New England safety Jaylinn Hawkins. From there, a 27-yard catch by Hunter Henry and another 24-yard grab from Kayshon Boutte got New England to the red zone. Boutte was injured on the play, but an 11-yard grab from Austin Hooper got the Patriots where they needed to be for a 3rd-and-goal touchdown by DeMario Douglas.
After the 14-play drive, Andy Borregales' kick was good, and the Patriots evened things up 7-7 with a minute left in the first.
2. DEFENSIVE FRONT SETTLES IN
The Raiders went three-and-out to open the second thanks to a forceful sack credited to Hawkins, though Harold Landry III helped in the pressure. Thanks to New England's defense, it was much of the same through the quarter when Vegas possessed the ball.
The Patriots first offensive drive of the second quarter saw a 14-yard carry from rookie TreVeyon Henderson and an impressive, 19-yard catch from Hunter Henry in tight coverage. Boutte returned to the game and had two receptions for 28 yards on the drive, but a delay of game penalty stunted New England's drive and Borregales missed his first field goal attempt of the game from 40 yards.
Towards the end of the quarter, Boutte had a 22-yard reception and Mack Hollins drew a defensive pass interference that spotted New England at Vegas' 25, and the Patriots were able to get a 35-yard field goal out of the drive to go up 10-7.
3. RAIDERS RESPOND IN THIRD
The Patriots had the ball to start the second half, but seven plays into the drive, Maye was picked off by Isaiah Pola-Mao on a pass intended for Stefon Diggs. That led to Jeanty's first career touchdown as the Raiders regained the lead, 14-10.
New England punted twice during the third frame, and on Vegas' last drive of the quarter, a 38-yard catch-and-run from Bowers got the Raiders close enough to Patriots territory to try for a 51-yard field goal. It was successful, and extended the Raiders lead to 17-10.
4. RAIDERS RUN AWAY WITH IT
The Raiders had help from a big 28-yard play between Smith and Tucker help set them up for a field goal to start the fourth, making it a two-score game at 20-10.
Maye and Diggs connected for a 16-yard pass on the next drive, but the quarterback took a sack immediately after. The contact caused a fumble, but rookie Will Campbell jumped on it to maintain possession. A false-start penalty on the offense after that made it fourth-and-10, cueing Bryce Baringer and the special teams for a punt.
Smith then threw a 36-yard completion off his back foot to Dont'e Thornton Jr. which seemed to seal the deal. Vegas wouldn't score again, but the deficit was too much for New England to come back from in two minutes, though it made a good effort on the final drive. Borregales' 44-yard field goal with 19 seconds left made it a 20-13 game.
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