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Two weeks ago, the Las Vegas Raiders were the talk of the NFL with a 3-0 start. Fast forward to the present day, they are now 3-2 with two consecutive losses, including Sunday’s beatdown by the New England Patriots, 45-17.
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This was as bad a game as you could’ve imagined for the Raiders, who entered the matchup hoping to repeat last year’s results with another victory in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Instead, Las Vegas and head coach Klint Kubiak were humbled by Drake Maye and the Patriots. Here are three of my overreactions to Sunday’s disappointing results.
Run Game Is Nonexistent (for Now)
It’s like we’re reliving last year’s run game where nothing went right for the Raiders. Ashton Jeanty continues to struggle after rushing for roughly 100 yards in the season opener, tallying only 2.7 yards on 10 attempts, with the team getting just over two yards per carry. Not great.
Jeanty hasn’t done himself any favors by struggling to be deliberate and seeing blocks form in front of him, and the offensive line has to do a better job of creating displacement at the line of scrimmage. Something must change for this unit to improve, and it may take patience and growth within Kubiak’s wide-zone system.
Raiders Starting To Become Who We Thought
I think it’s fair to say this is who we thought the Raiders were supposed to be in some form. The only two positives from this game were Brock Bowers and the debut of first-overall rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza (6-of-8, 48 yards). The defense spiraled against Maye and the Patriots’ skill players while struggling to stop the run.
This is a young team with some combination of veteran talent that was just humbled on the road against a resurgent Patriots team, and Maye has completely flipped the script with five total touchdowns. Las Vegas has a lot of work to do, and it won’t get any easier when the Buffalo Bills and the league’s best quarterback, Josh Allen.
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This May Not Be Defense’s Last Party Pooper
Turning to the Raiders’ defense, it was a disappointing display, as defensive coordinator Rob Leonard played with an aggressive approach against the Patriots’ pass-catchers and got burned. Wide receiver Kyle Williams was as good as anyone at winning against press alignments, and both Darien Porter and Hezekiah Masses had rough days, as did the linebackers against tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon.
Teams like the Bills, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks will all pose similar challenges. This may not be the last low-level performance for the Raiders’ defense. This is where Leonard will have to create some magic with the talent he has.
Today’s best reads
- Raiders vs. Patriots: 3 Key Matchups To Watch
- Hondo’s Thursday Raiders Musings: A Chance To Flip the Script
- Why Raiders Have Ample Opportunities To Upset Patriots
- Hondo’s Weekly Raiders Mailbag: Getting the Run Game Going!
- Raiders’ Injury Report Solidifies Plan Ahead of Patriots Matchup
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as 3 Overreactions to Raiders Blowout Loss vs. Patriots.
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This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM.