Tag: Raiders vs. Patriots

Raiders winners and losers in 30-24 victory vs. Patriots

Raiders winners and losers in 30-24 victory vs. Patriots

It was just a regular-season meeting between struggling teams, but on Sunday, the Raiders and Patriots produced memorable moments reminiscent of the famed “Tuck Rule” playoff game from two decades earlier.

And this time, the Raiders came out on top.

Las Vegas tied the score at 24 on a controversial touchdown catch from wide receiver Keelan Cole with less than a minute to go. As the Patriots desperately tried to notch a touchdown on the last play regulation, a lateral from WR Jakobi Myers landed in the hands of defensive end Chander Jones, who ran to the end zone as time expired.

The result was a 30-24 Raiders victory. Here are the winners and losers for the week, in a game — and finish — that will go down in NFL history.

Winner: DE Chander Jones

The Raiders pass rush took a while to get going and didn’t record a QB sack, but nobody will remember that about this game. Jones made a historic play to send Las Vegas home winners after a subpar performance for most of the afternoon.

Jones showed his athleticism as he caught Myers’ questionable attempt at a play and then bullied his way past Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for the game-winner.

Jones had a few moments before this play, too, most notably two QB hits and two passes defensed.

Winner: WR Keelan Cole

Before Jones’ miraculous play, the Raiders notched a touchdown to tie the score. Quarterback Derek Carr found WR Keelan Cole in the corner of the end zone, and though he appeared out of bounds on the replay, the play stood as called.

This was the Raiders’ first score of any kind in the second half. Las Vegas was ahead 17-3 at the break and had a dreadful performance in the third quarter and most of the fourth. Still, Las Vegas came out on top.

Winner: DE Malcolm Koonce

The Raiders earned their 17-3 lead after defensive end Malcolm Koonce blocked a punt late in the first half. The Patriots didn’t appear set, as Koonce’s supposed opponent wasn’t even looking his way. Koonce was unblocked and made it count.

Winner: WR Mack Hollins

Carr threw a touchdown pass to WR Mack Hollins after Koonce’s block, and Hollins ended up with four catches for 40 yards. He missed a couple of deep-throw opportunities late in the game, but he also had a first-down catch on a 4th-and-10, last-gasp opportunity for the Raiders. Plus, he made a notable special teams play, pinning the Patriots back at their own 2-yard line.

Winner: TE Darren Waller

The Raiders welcomed back tight end Darren Waller and WR Hunter Renfrow, who were both activated from the injured reserve list. Waller caught a touchdown, Las Vegas’ first of the day.

They combined for just four catches and 62 yards, however. Plus, superstar WR Davante Adams had only four catches for a paltry 28 yards on eight targets. Once again, details won’t matter much in this game, though a lot more is expected from this group of playmakers. As for Waller, it was still a triumphant return.

Loser: Dave Ziegler

The Raiders offense underperformed in large part due to poor roster construction from general manager Dave Ziegler, specifically along the offensive line. After an injury to guard Dylan Parham, both guards protecting Carr were on the Raiders’ practice squad just last week.

Unsurprisingly, Carr faced a ton of pressure, especially in the second half when Patriots added more blitz packages to the mix. Though recently released guard John Simpson may have his shortcomings, it appeared Las Vegas could have used his help on Sunday. The line would have also benefitted from more attention in free agency during the offseason.

Loser: QB Derek Carr

Though Carr had three touchdown throws, he lands on the Loser list for one play in particular. He threw a pick-6 early in the second half when the Raiders were still ahead, 17-3. The mistake was inexcusable and opened the door for another collapse by Las Vegas.

The Raiders only gained 22 yards in the third quarter and weren’t much better in the fourth until the last portion of the game. Las Vegas fell behind, 24-17, and almost built on the NFL record they set last week for most blown double-digit halftime leads. It all started with Carr’s pick-6.

Plus, Carr has to perform better when he has Waller, Renfrow, and Adams, even if the blocking is subpar. Adams, especially, is a weapon that Carr must find consistently every week.

Loser: WR Davante Adams

I’ve got to put Adams on the Loser list, too. His lack of action over the last two weeks is incomprehensible. He’s losing out on a ton of production, and that doesn’t seem right, no matter how you slice it.

Carr and coach Josh McDaniels have to figure out how to get Adams back on track, especially with Waller and Renfrow back in the fold.

Loser: Run defense

The Raiders defense didn’t allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter, but they relinquished a lot of big plays as the contest wore on, especially in the run game. The Patriots amassed 203 yards on the ground, led by 149 from RB Rhamondre Stevenson.

Loser: Coaching

The Raiders coaching staff got away with a poor afternoon, too. Las Vegas nearly blew another big lead and committed 13 penalties along the way. Thankfully for McDaniels and crew, the Patriots’ blunder clinched a much-needed win.

The Tuck Rule game is still talked about to this day, and though that famous battle was in the New England snow during the playoffs, this game will be nearly as memorable.

Still, the Raiders have to play better, especially on offense, during the next three games. Carr has to show that he can score more touchdowns with his full assortment of playmakers, and McDaniels must do a better job coaching with a lead.

They can learn their lessons during a win this week, though. Now, they’ll prepare to battle ghosts of another historic play by another historic franchise — on Christmas Eve in Pittsburg on the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. Perhaps the Raiders can create some of their own magic in that game as well.

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Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow has reason for optimism after blowout loss vs. Patriots

The Raiders may have laid an egg in New England, but wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has a good reason to be optimistic.

Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is not only a solid slot receiver, but he’s also a fast learner.

Though Las Vegas took it on the chin in losing to the Patriots in blowout fashion on Sunday, 36-20, the Raiders’ second-year standout was optimistic after the game, and not just because he had a productive day on the field.

“You lose one game in college, and you can’t go win a national championship, right? In the NFL, you can lose five or six games and still go to the Super Bowl,” Renfrow said after the game, “You get another shot next week against a really good team in the Bills, at our place.”

Renfrow knows all about the college football national championship, having won two during his time at Clemson. Plus, he has lessons from his first year as a pro. In 2019, the Raiders barely had a pulse as they traveled to London to face the Bears and the season turned around in an instant after a win.

And the Raiders were in the playoff hunt last season, despite finishing with a 7-9 record. Renfrow already knows not to get too high or too low, especially in Week 3 with a 2-1 record.

If Renfrow has more games like he did today, it would help the Raiders rack up more wins. He led the Raiders in receptions with six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. His score came when the game was in hand for New England, but Renfrow had a huge reception late in the first half to set up a Las Vegas touchdown to pull within three points of the Patriots.

It clearly wasn’t enough, however. But the Raiders would do well to follow Renfrow’s lead and look ahead to the next game — after learning some tough lessons watching film of their blowout loss to coach Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden set to match wits with his ‘tuck rule’ foe, Patriots coach Bill Belichick

Raiders coach Jon Gruden suffered a landmark defeat to Patriots coach Bill Belichick in 20001 and had never beaten the New England coach.

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It’s been a long time since Jon Gruden went to New England as Raiders coach, as he’ll do this Sunday against the Patriots. A lot has happened since that day. Some things haven’t happened at all.

The year was 2002, and the Raiders lost the landmark “tuck rule” game, a playoff classic in a snowy Foxboro Stadium. The general consensus is the Raiders were robbed of a win by the officials, despite a call that was technically — and incredibly — correct.

It was Gruden’s last game of his first run as Raiders coach, as he was traded to the Buccaneers after that season. He later won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, against the Raiders (also incredibly). But he’s never defeated Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was New England’s coach then just as he is now.

Belichick has racked up six Super Bowl titles since the “tuck rule” game, which greatly aided the start of the Patriots’ dynastic run, led by Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, who has since moved to the NFC. New England won its first title in 2002 after beating Gruden and the Raiders in the controversial playoff game.

And though Gruden moved on to Tampa Bay and had success, he lost to Belichick in his only chance with the Bucs. According to the Associated Press Gruden is 0-2 lifetime against his “tuck rule” foe, who is a defensive guru.

In fact, in Gruden’s second loss to the Patriots, his offense failed to score a single point.

It’s just two games, due to Gruden choosing the Monday Night Football booth over the sidelines for years, but the competitive Gruden surely wants to prove his modern, west coast offense can overmatch Belichick’s defense.

Especially considering that through two games in 2020, the Raiders offense has carried the club, with the defense struggling mightily. Can they continue their hot streak against Belichick on the road, setting up a possible victory?

First of all, Gruden will be without starting right tackle Trent Brown once again. But that hasn’t stopped the Raiders from scoring 34 points in each of their first two games.

Also, Las Vegas won’t have the services of wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who was ruled out on Friday.

Though Ruggs III has made an impact, quarterback Derek Carr completed passes to 11 different receivers against the Saints. Veteran wideouts Zay Jones and Nelson Agholor contributed in the Week 2 win, and they should be ready to step up in New England.

The two biggest factors for Gruden are still in play. That’s running back Josh Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller. Jacobs, along with a high-performing offensive line through two weeks, makes Gruden’s offense go. Success in the run game makes everything easier for the Raiders’ offense and allows the defense to remain fresh, too.

Through two games, the Patriots allow 4.2 yards per rush, good for No. 11 in the NFL. Creating lanes for Jacobs will be a tough task for Las Vegas, which is also dealing with an injury to guard Richie Incognito.

But if the Raiders are to keep their high-scoring offense rolling, the run game must be established to some degree. Belichick is likely to pay special attention to Waller in the passing game, but if Jacobs is a threat and Waller occupies multiple defenders, the Raiders can use play-action and Carr’s other receivers should be open.

Especially considering that New England allows 8.3 yards per pass attempt, which is the 25th best mark in the NFL thus far. Carr, who had three touchdown throws in Week 2 with a QB rating of 120.9, will be counted on by Gruden to perform, whether the run game gets going or not.

In fact, it’s possible that Gruden prepares a pass-heavy gameplan. Though that’s unlikely considering the Raiders’ strength on offense.

Regardless, if the offense can score more than 30 points once again, they’ll give themselves a great chance to go 3-0 on the year. That’s an incredibly high number, however — scoring that many points per game seemed like just a dream during the offseason.

But the Raiders’ offense is hot. This is the time for Gruden to finally beat Belichick — the unquestioned best coach in the NFL — and his defense.

And while winning on Sunday wouldn’t erase the “tuck rule” game, when cornerback Charles Woodson forced Brady to fumble, um, I mean, to throw an incomplete pass, it could create brand new memories, not to mention put Las Vegas at 3-0.

“He did fumble that damn ball,” Gruden said Tuesday, of the infamous play. “But, I kind of felt like I was back in a time warp seeing Sean Payton and Drew Brees last night. Carolina Panthers, I thought I was back in the NFC South. Anytime you step in a stadium like that, it does bring back memories. Some of the memories aren’t great, but we’re excited to play.” 

That’s because Gruden wants to start his own dynasty, just as the Patriots did with an assist from the tuck rule back in ’02. He’d love for his mission to get a boost against New England, and Belichick stands in his way. One game at a time, however, and this has a chance to be a big one for Gruden and the Raiders.