FOXBOROUGH, MA (WTIC News) -- Drake Maye’s post-Super Bowl slump is emphatically over.
The Patriots' young quarterback used his quick feet to escape trouble and lofted perfect strikes well downfield from start to finish, completing 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and 4 touchdowns and adding a touchdown run, as the Patriots improved to 3-2 on the year with a dominant 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Maye’s 4 touchdown passes matched his previous total for the season.
“Hats off to the captain,” said veteran RT Morgan Moses, whose offensive line kept Maye upright most of the day, allowing just one sack. “It takes all eleven of us to be able to operate, and when we’ve got our quarterback operating at a high level, that’s what it looks like.”
“We always talk about when we have clean pockets and his ability to transfer up into… really good pockets that, you know, we’re gonna gain yards,” said Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots defense harassed Raiders QB Kirk Cousins (19-28, 243 yds, 1 td) all day, with CB Charles Woods dropping a potential interception on the second play of the game, forcing a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive.
“I think you saw an elite defense that was a Super Bowl caliber defense,” said Cousins.
New England went 5 plays for 79 yards on the ensuing drive to take an early 7-0 lead. A pass interference penalty on Raiders CB Eric Stokes moved the ball to midfield. Four plays later, Maye threw a 35 yard TD strike over the middle to a wide open DeMario Douglas.
Pass interference, this time on the Patriots, was a factor again as Las Vegas responded to tie the game at 7. Patriots safety Kevin Byard collided with Michael Mayer as the tight end turned to make an attempt at an uncatchable pass from Cousins. The dubious DPI call moved the ball to the Patriots’ 13 yard line, from where Cousins found superstar TE Brock Bowers (8 catches for 110 yds.) for a touchdown pass, Bowers’ third of the season in limited action.
Maye and the Patriots got right back to work to take the lead for good. Facing third and long after moving the ball into Raiders territory, Maye was hit hard by LB Quay Walker at the end of a 10 yard scramble, setting up 4th and 2. Maye popped back up and found Douglas for a critical first down on the next play.
After another pass interference penalty on Stokes, the Patriots faced 4th down again, this time at the 8 yard line. Maye passed to TE Hunter Henry, who brought the ball to the Raiders’ 1 for a first down. A false start moved the ball back to the five, but Rhamondre Stevenson (13 carries for 64 yds.) scored his second rushing touchdown of the year to put the Patriots up 14-7 late in the first quarter.
Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson left the game with an ankle injury, and was later ruled out for the day. That put first year man Corey Kiner in the game and he fumbled his first carry, recovered by the Raiders. The Patriots defense was able to hold Las Vegas to a field goal attempt, and kicker Matt Gay missed for the first time this season, a 49 yd. clonker off the left upright.
Second-year LT Will Campbell also left the game in the first half with a knee injury, and did not return. He was replaced by rookie first-round pick Caleb Lomu.
The FG miss by Gay set up a Patriots’ two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter. Maye threw a short ball to Henry, who rumbled 26 yards for a first down. Then, after reaching the Raiders’ 11 yard line, Maye found Henry over the middle, connecting at the goal line for a TD pass just before halftime. It was 21-7 Pats.
On the next drive, the first drive of the third quarter, the Patriots put the game out of reach. Maye hit rookie TE Eli Raridon for 13 yards, then found the rising Efton Chism for another 13. From the Raiders’ 34 yard line, Maye located WR Kyle Williams, who beat one-on-one coverage down the left sideline, and hit him with a perfect TD throw. 28-7 Pats.
Maye’s 3 yard TD run provided additional insurance. He became the first Patriot to throw at least 3 touchdowns in back-to-back games since, of course, Tom Brady in 2018.
Cousins was sacked three times—twice by LB Elijah Ponder and once by DT Leonard Taylor III. With the game effectively over, rookie QB Fernando Mendoza (6-8, 48 yds. passing) made his NFL debut in the 4th quarter, completing his first five throws.
