Tag: Raiders winners and losers vs Patriots

Raiders winners and losers in 21-17 victory vs. Patriots

Raiders winners and losers in 21-17 victory vs. Patriots

For the second straight week, the Raiders defense closed the show in a Las Vegas win, scoring a safety as the visiting Patriots desperately tried to take the lead on their last drive.

Defensive linemen Bilal Nichols and Maxx Crosby tackled Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the end zone to give the Raiders a 21-17 lead they wouldn’t relinquish after the Las Vegas offense had struggled in the red zone all afternoon.

Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer took a knee to end the game, as he’d replaced injured starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who was ruled out at halftime.

The win was the Raiders’ second straight and it was the first time coach Josh McDaniels’ squad scored more than 20 points in a game. Hoyer did just enough to help his team earn a 3-3 record despite a still struggling offense.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after a victory that wasn’t pretty, but gets notched in the Raiders’ win column just the same.

Winner: Defense

The Patriots spent much of the afternoon hurting their own chances on offense with inopportune penalties, but the Raiders defense deserves credit for battling all 60 minutes and closing the win.

That’s despite the Patriots offense scoring a touchdown for the first time in 40 drives. But since the Raiders finally scored more than 20 points and it was thanks to Crosby and crew, they earned a “W” in this week’s victory.

Winner: QB Brian Hoyer

The last time Garoppolo was injured, rookie QB Aidan O’Connell got the start over Hoyer in a loss to the Chargers. In the second half against the Patriots, Hoyer got his chance against his former team and capitalized.

By the time Hoyer saw the ball for the first time, the Raiders only held a 13-10 advantage after a Patriots touchdown drive to open the third quarter. With Garoppolo out, it seemed momentum was about to swing New England’s way. But Hoyer connected with wide receiver Tre Tucker for a 48-yard reception on 3rd-and-4 to get the Raiders rolling again.

The drive ended in another field goal, but the Raiders’ big play quieted the surging Patriots.

Winner: TE Michael Mayer/WR Tre Tucker

Tucker and his fellow rookie playmaker, tight end Michael Mayer, both had a positive impact in the Raiders’ win. McDaniels put Tucker’s speed to good use on his 48-yard reception, and Mayer helped the Raiders get off to a solid start by surpassing his career catch number on the first drive of the game.

Mayer had five catches overall and led Las Vegas in receiving yards with 75. Other playmakers, notably WR Davante Adams and WR Hunter Renfrow, still struggled in this game, but perhaps more contributions from Tucker and Mayer in the weeks ahead can give opposing defenses more to worry about, providing more room for Adams, especially.

Winner: S Tre’von Moehrig

The Patriots also seemed primed to seize momentum late in the second quarter, but safety Tre’von Moehirg took advantage of an off-target pass from Jones, intercepting the ball as New England was approaching the red zone. Crosby provided pressure, flushing Jones from the pocket, and Moehrig did the rest.

It was the Raiders’ second straight game with a takeaway. For some teams, that’s normal. But for a Las Vegas franchise that’s struggled to create turnovers for years, it was important for the defense to take the ball away yet again, and Moehrig delivered.

Loser: WR DeAndre Carter

Wide receiver DeAndre Carter dropped his only target of the night, and he’ll probably be thinking about it until he hits the football field again and gets a chance to redeem himself.

In a preview of more missed scoring chances throughout the afternoon for the Raiders, Carter dropped what would have been an easy third-down conversion in the red zone on the Raiders’ first drive of the game. The Raiders opted for a field goal, but there was a penalty on New England, giving the Raiders a first down anyway. Las Vegas still couldn’t punch it in and took a 3-0 lead to open the game.

Loser: WR Davante Adams

Adams makes the loser list for the second straight game, despite two victories for the Raiders in those games. Adams had just two catches, though extra attention paid to him opened opportunities for teammates, notably Jakobi Meyers, who caught a touchdown from Garoppolo.

Adding injury to insult, Adams got hit hard trying to catch a pass from Garoppolo in the first quarter, causing an interception off a tipped football.

It was the Raiders’ second promising drive on their first two possessions, but they could only amass a 3-0 lead due to a variety of mistakes and penalties.

Loser: Coach Josh McDaniels

Even though McDaniels got a much-needed win to even his team’s record, his offense was only 1-for-6 scoring touchdowns in the red zone; Las Vegas wouldn’t have broken the 20-point mark for the first time this season if it wasn’t for the defense.

The Raiders gained 125 yards in the first quarter compared to negative-2 yards for New England but only led 3-0 in the frame. Plus, Las Vegas nearly doubled New England’s time of possession in the first half but only held a 13-3 advantage at the break.

The second half saw more missed chances in the red zone, though McDaniels’ backup QB was in the game, providing some sort of an excuse.

Taking a look at their playmakers on offense, it’s easy to assume the Raiders will start scoring more points. But thus far, it hasn’t happened. Not to be overlooked: the offensive line played better in this victory, despite some penalties, but their play remains an issue McDaniels must coach around as he tries to find a winning formula on offense.

This was an ugly win against a Patriots team that didn’t seem overly interested in winning, especially early on. The Raiders’ subpar play gave New England life, however, and the score was much closer than it should have been.

Against better teams, the Raiders’ effort on Sunday likely wouldn’t cut it. But a win’s a win, and Las Vegas will try for their third consecutive victory next week in Chicago against the Bears.

Raiders winners and losers in 23-6 preseason victory vs. Patriots

Raiders winners and losers in 23-6 preseason victory vs. Patriots

The Raiders beat the Patriots on Friday, 23-6, to stay undefeated as the preseason came to a close. But that wasn’t the most encouraging part of the game for coach Josh McDaniels.

The Patriots played a lot of starters while the Raiders’ lineup was led by backups. Las Vegas dominated, anyway, especially on defense, as New England’s starting quarterback, Mac Jones, played well into the second quarter.

The Raiders were unfazed and jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. Here are this week’s winners and losers for the Raiders, with some winners perhaps earning a spot on the 53-man roster.

Winner: Raiders defense

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham watched his defense take on the Patriots’ starting offense and meet the challenge, despite deploying second and third-string players.

On the game’s first series, the Patriots went three-and-out and lost nine yards. Linebackers Luke Masterson and Darien Butler set the tone, combining on a tackle for loss on the game’s second play. Defensive end Malcolm Koonce added a sack soon after that to finish the drive.

That was the theme all evening long, regardless of who was in the game. Las Vegas lived in the Patriots’ backfield and ended up forcing three turnovers. In the final warmup for the regular season, Graham’s group looks ready to go.

Winner: DE Tashawn Bower

Tashawn Bower followed his impressive game last week against the Dolphins with an even better performance to close the preseason, possibly earning a roster spot in the process.

Bower notched two QB sacks, a QB hit, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and five total tackles. One of his plays was a two-for-one, as he got to Patriots QB Brian Hoyer for a strip-sack.

Bower did all he could to convince McDaniels he deserves a spot on the Raiders’ Week 1 roster. Now, he’ll have to wait and see if it was enough. I think he makes the cut, however. And if he doesn’t, another team will be happy to have him.

Winner: LB Luke Masterson

Masterson had a hand in the defense’s banner day, intercepting a pass from Jones. He got some help from defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr., who supplied pressure, and Masterson added a nifty return after his INT.

There are a lot of linebackers competing for backup spots in Las Vegas, and Masterson separated himself from the rest field during this game. He also made several special teams tackles, which only strengthened his case for making the 53-man roster.

Winner: WR Tyron Johnson

Just in case his status on the Raiders’ Week 1 roster was in doubt, wide receiver Tyron Johnson reminded everyone why he’s a near lock to make the squad, thanks to his blazing speed.

He hauled in a 45-yard reception from quarterback Chase Garbers, and Johnson would have likely scored a touchdown with a better throw.

It was a surprise to see Johnson play in the final preseason game, but he made a statement. His fellow wideout, Keelan Cole, also made an appearance and had a solid game. But I still expect each player to make the cut, despite a challenge from WR D.J. Turner.

Winner: DE Malcolm Koonce

This week’s final winner is Malcolm Koonce. He played well to start the preseason, but Bower has had more flashy moments on the edge lately. Koonce got back on track with his sack on the game’s initial series.

Koonce had some help from Jones, who tried to escape the pocket but ran right into the Raiders’ DE. But Koonce is paid to cause havoc in the backfield, and that’s what he did on this play.

Loser: DE Clelin Ferrell

Former first-round pick Clelin Ferrell has battled an injury for weeks and finally saw action against the Patriots. The problem for Ferrell is that it’s impossible to tell he played by looking at the box score.

He didn’t record a single stat, and I didn’t see him flash much playmaking ability, though he must have contributed to the defense’s strong performance on some level.

But could this be the end of the road for Ferrell in Las Vegas? With strong performances from Bower, Koonce, and others, and a new regime in town, it certainly could be.

Loser: OT Alex Leatherwood

I didn’t want to put Leatherwood on the losers list again. But he left me with little choice. He had multiple embarrassingly-bad plays, most notably getting pushed back and thrown to the ground by an undrafted free agent near the end of the first half.

I don’t know what the Raiders plan to do with Leatherwood, but he needs a lot of practice and perhaps some sort of reset with his fundamentals. He’s too physically gifted to play so poorly. At least the Raiders starting line looked solid against New England, minus star left tackle Kolton Miller, who is being saved for the regular season.

Overall, the Raiders’ preseason was a smashing success. They went 4-0 and McDaniels’ bunch looked well-versed in new schemes on offense and defense. Plus, they played penalty-free football much of the time and committed just one infraction against New England.

Additionally, the Raiders didn’t commit a turnover in their four preseason triumphs, the first time that’s happened in the NFL since 2011.

But as we all know, these games don’t count. It appears the Raiders improved significantly this week against the Patriots, however, first during their joint practices and then on Friday.

The offensive line looks like it’s coming together, and the defense ended the preseason on a high note. Now it’s up to McDaniels to put a winning roster together, as it’s Super Bowl or bust for QB Derek Carr, WR Davante Adams, DE Maxx Crosby, and the entire franchise.

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