FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye threw for four touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the New England Patriots rolled past the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 on Sunday.
Maye was 26 of 34 for 374 yards passing in the second 300-yard game of his career. Two TDs went to Pop Douglas and one each to Hunter Henry and Kyle Williams. Rhamondre Stevenson added a scoring run.
Maye is the first with back-to-back games of at least three TDs passing for New
England since Tom Brady in 2018. It was also Maye’s first game this season without a turnover. He scored on a 3-yard run.
The Patriots (3-2) finished with season-high 536 yards and forced a fumble despite playing without injured receiver Mack Hollins and cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III.
Kirk Cousins was 19 of 28 for 243 yards with a touchdown to Brock Bowers that pulled the Raiders (3-2) even early, but Las Vegas didn't find the end zone again until the fourth quarter after scoring at least 26 points in each of its first four games.
No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza replaced Cousins with the game out of reach later in the fourth.
It didn’t take long for New England’s offense to get going.
After a quick three-and-out by the Raiders to open the game, New England needed just five plays to cap a 79-yard drive with a 35-yard TD pass from Maye to a wide-open Douglas.
The drive included a 16-yard pass to Romeo Doubs to get the Patriots into Las Vegas territory.
The Raiders responded on the next series. First, Cousins connected on long completions to Bowers and Coby White. He then capitalized on a pass interference call on Kevin Byard that set up a 13-yard TD pass to Bowers in the corner of the end zone.
New England kept its momentum going after Bowers' 13-yard TD catch, scoring on a 5-yard run by Stevenson.
Las Vegas had a chance to tie things up just before halftime after Corey Kiner fumbled at the New England 37. But Matt Gay’s 49-yard field goal try hit the left upright, and the Patriots took a 14-point halftime lead on Maye's 11-yard pass to Henry 24 seconds before the break.
Raiders: DT Tonka Hemingway left in the first quarter with a neck injury and was ruled out. ... DE Patrick Johnson (neck) left in the second quarter.
Patriots: RB TreVeyon Henderson limped to the locker room in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Two plays later, LT Will Campbell was helped off with a right knee injury. Neither returned. ... CB Charles Woods exited in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.
Raiders: Host the Bills next Sunday.
Patriots: Host the Jets next Sunday.
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