For the second straight week, the Raiders defense closed the show in a Las Vegas win, scoring a safety as the visiting Patriots desperately tried to take the lead on their last drive.
Defensive linemen Bilal Nichols and Maxx Crosby tackled Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the end zone to give the Raiders a 21-17 lead they wouldn’t relinquish after the Las Vegas offense had struggled in the red zone all afternoon.
Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer took a knee to end the game, as he’d replaced injured starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who was ruled out at halftime.
The win was the Raiders’ second straight and it was the first time coach Josh McDaniels’ squad scored more than 20 points in a game. Hoyer did just enough to help his team earn a 3-3 record despite a still struggling offense.
Here are the winners and losers for the week after a victory that wasn’t pretty, but gets notched in the Raiders’ win column just the same.
Winner: Defense
The Patriots spent much of the afternoon hurting their own chances on offense with inopportune penalties, but the Raiders defense deserves credit for battling all 60 minutes and closing the win.
That’s despite the Patriots offense scoring a touchdown for the first time in 40 drives. But since the Raiders finally scored more than 20 points and it was thanks to Crosby and crew, they earned a “W” in this week’s victory.
MAXX CROSBY SAFETY 🙏
📺: #NEvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/B4mQvLOt8O pic.twitter.com/pW4ERJVtdw— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023
Winner: QB Brian Hoyer
The last time Garoppolo was injured, rookie QB Aidan O’Connell got the start over Hoyer in a loss to the Chargers. In the second half against the Patriots, Hoyer got his chance against his former team and capitalized.
By the time Hoyer saw the ball for the first time, the Raiders only held a 13-10 advantage after a Patriots touchdown drive to open the third quarter. With Garoppolo out, it seemed momentum was about to swing New England’s way. But Hoyer connected with wide receiver Tre Tucker for a 48-yard reception on 3rd-and-4 to get the Raiders rolling again.
Tre Tucker with the speed 💨#NEvsLV | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/LJGOrDUT3r
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 15, 2023
The drive ended in another field goal, but the Raiders’ big play quieted the surging Patriots.
Winner: TE Michael Mayer/WR Tre Tucker
Tucker and his fellow rookie playmaker, tight end Michael Mayer, both had a positive impact in the Raiders’ win. McDaniels put Tucker’s speed to good use on his 48-yard reception, and Mayer helped the Raiders get off to a solid start by surpassing his career catch number on the first drive of the game.
Mayer had five catches overall and led Las Vegas in receiving yards with 75. Other playmakers, notably WR Davante Adams and WR Hunter Renfrow, still struggled in this game, but perhaps more contributions from Tucker and Mayer in the weeks ahead can give opposing defenses more to worry about, providing more room for Adams, especially.
Winner: S Tre’von Moehrig
The Patriots also seemed primed to seize momentum late in the second quarter, but safety Tre’von Moehirg took advantage of an off-target pass from Jones, intercepting the ball as New England was approaching the red zone. Crosby provided pressure, flushing Jones from the pocket, and Moehrig did the rest.
OUR BALL!!!#NEvsLV | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/qnZlymKViB
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 15, 2023
It was the Raiders’ second straight game with a takeaway. For some teams, that’s normal. But for a Las Vegas franchise that’s struggled to create turnovers for years, it was important for the defense to take the ball away yet again, and Moehrig delivered.
Loser: WR DeAndre Carter
Wide receiver DeAndre Carter dropped his only target of the night, and he’ll probably be thinking about it until he hits the football field again and gets a chance to redeem himself.
In a preview of more missed scoring chances throughout the afternoon for the Raiders, Carter dropped what would have been an easy third-down conversion in the red zone on the Raiders’ first drive of the game. The Raiders opted for a field goal, but there was a penalty on New England, giving the Raiders a first down anyway. Las Vegas still couldn’t punch it in and took a 3-0 lead to open the game.
Loser: WR Davante Adams
Adams makes the loser list for the second straight game, despite two victories for the Raiders in those games. Adams had just two catches, though extra attention paid to him opened opportunities for teammates, notably Jakobi Meyers, who caught a touchdown from Garoppolo.
Adding injury to insult, Adams got hit hard trying to catch a pass from Garoppolo in the first quarter, causing an interception off a tipped football.
Jabrill Peppers and Jahlani Tavai team up for a crazy INT 😱
📺: #NEvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/B4mQvLOt8O pic.twitter.com/vHQjDgCxEv— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023
It was the Raiders’ second promising drive on their first two possessions, but they could only amass a 3-0 lead due to a variety of mistakes and penalties.
Loser: Coach Josh McDaniels
Even though McDaniels got a much-needed win to even his team’s record, his offense was only 1-for-6 scoring touchdowns in the red zone; Las Vegas wouldn’t have broken the 20-point mark for the first time this season if it wasn’t for the defense.
The Raiders gained 125 yards in the first quarter compared to negative-2 yards for New England but only led 3-0 in the frame. Plus, Las Vegas nearly doubled New England’s time of possession in the first half but only held a 13-3 advantage at the break.
The second half saw more missed chances in the red zone, though McDaniels’ backup QB was in the game, providing some sort of an excuse.
Taking a look at their playmakers on offense, it’s easy to assume the Raiders will start scoring more points. But thus far, it hasn’t happened. Not to be overlooked: the offensive line played better in this victory, despite some penalties, but their play remains an issue McDaniels must coach around as he tries to find a winning formula on offense.
This was an ugly win against a Patriots team that didn’t seem overly interested in winning, especially early on. The Raiders’ subpar play gave New England life, however, and the score was much closer than it should have been.
Against better teams, the Raiders’ effort on Sunday likely wouldn’t cut it. But a win’s a win, and Las Vegas will try for their third consecutive victory next week in Chicago against the Bears.
