There was no escaping the quick sand on Sunday for the Las Vegas Raiders.
That same resolve and resilience the team produced to overcome adversity and surge to a 3-0 start to the 2026 campaign under head coach Klint Kubiak and his coaching staff, was non-existent in Foxborough as the Silver & Black were thoroughly throttled by the host New England Patriots 45-17
.The glaring absence of complementary football from the Raiders allowed the Patriots to outclass and out-perform the visitors and it was
a contest where the offense, defense, and special teams was so out of whack, one had to openly wonder if Las Vegas got off the plane in New England.
The lopsided humbling defeat was the first time where Las Vegas coaching staff truly looked neophyte — Kubiak and his chosen defensive coordinator Rob Leonard are rookies in their respective roles — and the seasoned veterans of head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took full advantage.
In total, McDaniels — a former Raiders head coach and play caller himself — dialed up an offense that dropped 536 total yards (371 through the air, 165 on the ground) on Leonard’s surprisingly soft defense. Kubiak’s offense couldn’t find that kind of success as Zak Kuhr’s Patriots defense stymied the Raiders to the tune of 306 total yards (268 passing and a meager 38 rushing).
The drubbing was so thorough that even sure-handed elite tight end Brock Bowers lost the ball on an impressive punch out by the Patriots defense — adding to the Raiders’ all-game misery.
What truly makes the defeat disheartening for the Raiders: The Patriots were decimated by injury heading into this contest missing key elements on offense, defense, and special teams but didn’t let that hinder them. They showcased determination, resolve, and sense of urgency — all of which Kubiak’s team exhibited to go 3-1 heading into this game.
Instead, McDaniels and the Patriots get a measure of revenge for the 20-13 2025 season-opening loss the team suffered at the hands of the Raiders in New England last season. Of course, we know how that went as the trajectory for both teams were polar opposites.
After Sunday’s result, the conversation goes from “What’s wrong with Drake Maye?” to “What’s wrong with Klint Kubiak and Rob Leonard?” — highlighting how quickly narratives in the NFL can change.
There’s plenty of teach tape for the Raiders, however. And once again, Kubiak did well to take ownership of the team’s issues and result against the Patriots. As I noted earlier this past week, accountability is great, but without action to correct the issues is troublesome. Fortunately for Kubiak and Co., they have several opportunities this season to show they are indeed all about that action. And the first is against the incoming Bills next Sunday at home.
Credit to New England for showcasing the ugly warts Las Vegas has. It was there for anyone to see. All eyes turn to the Raiders coaching staff and players ensuring that was an anomaly and not habit.
That said, we did get to see Las Vegas No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza get snaps at quarterback. Brief as it was, the experience was a good one for the Indiana product.
Let’s hit the quick slants as fast as the Patriots put peddle to the metal and boat raced the visiting Raiders:
—New England’s seven explosive plays (for 20 yards or more) against the Las Vegas defense was eye opening as McDaniels dialed up an aggressive attacking scheme, one that they deployed to stun the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. The Patriots opened the game with a 35-yard touchdown reception by DeMario Douglas and then got a 34-yard TD catch from Kyle Williams in the third quarter.
—In comparison, Las Vegas generated just three explosive plays — Bowers’ 28-yard catch, Ashton Jeanty’s 31-yard catch-and-run, and Cody White’s 28-yard grab. That 31-yard reception from Jeanty marked the team’s longest play while the 49-yard catch from Williams marked New England’s longest play of the day.
—Kubiak’s ground game continues to struggle with a pathetic 38 yards on 18 carries (2.1 yards per carry average) with the longest run being five-yard gains by Dylan Laube, Mike Washington Jr., and Tre Tucker. McDaniels’ run game, in comparison, was a group effort with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the group with 64 yards on 13 carries and Corey Kiner adding 52 yards on six totes.
—Turnover prone heading into the matchup, Maye didn’t lose the ball once while dropping dimes all over the field racking up four passing touchdowns and running another one in for five total end zone visits. May was comfortable in the pocket and surgically dissected the Raiders secondary going 26 of 34 for 374 yards and getting sacked just once.
—McDaniels offense found the end zone six times — four through the air and twice on the ground — having it’s way with Leonard’s defense that couldn’t pressure May. The result of Maye having seemingly all day to throw was throwing over Raiders defensive backs sprinting to recover. Other than Bowers’ first-quarter touchdown catch, Las Vegas struggled throughout with Laube’s two-yard plunge in the fourth quarter the only other TD.
—Cousins finished 19 of 28 for 243 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw an interception but was sacked three times and hit quite often. With the game out of hand, he ceded to rookie Fernando Mendoza and the No. 1 pick went six of eight for 48 yards with one carry for three yards.
—Bowers paced the Raiders air attack with 110 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. The de facto WR1 continues to showcase he’s a tight end in name only as he was deployed all over the alignment, even in spots normally reserved for a traditional wide receiver. Jeanty added 50 yards on three catches while White had two grabs for 44 yards.
Quotes of Note
Up Next
The Bills are set to visit Allegiant Stadium next Sunday for an AFC afternoon clash in Las Vegas. Buffalo (3-1 overall) is looking to rebound from the Week 4 loss to New England and stay ahead in the AFC East race in their Monday Night matchup with the Los Angeles Rams (2-2). Interestingly enough, tonight’s clash features the two teams the Raiders play the next two weeks. First come the Bills, then a week later, the Rams roll into Allegiant.
