After a slow start to the season, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are finding their stride as they defeat the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17. The Patriots never trailed this week, as they scored touchdowns on their first two drives and only allowed one Raiders scoring drive in the first half. Though this win improves New England to 3-2, it more importantly shows that they are finding ways to overcome injuries and learn from mistakes.
Early in the season, Maye was criticized for his turnovers, poor decision making, and lack of downfield production. Though he showed improvement in these areas last week, he took a huge step forward against the Raiders. In Week 5, he threw for 374 yards on 26-of-34 passing with 5 total touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing).
Throughout the first four weeks of the season, Maye had turned the ball over nine times, the most in the league. The majority of these turnovers were rooted in poor decision-making, as his risky throws tended to get intercepted. For example, in Week 1, he threw three interceptions in the second half against the Seattle Seahawks while forcing throws into coverage. While Maye took a step in the right direction last week, he took an even larger step this week by playing turnover-free football.
Along with Maye’s improvement in taking better care of the ball, he also showcased his deep throwing ability that was highlighted all last season. Teams have looked to take away the Patriots’ deep throws this season, but Las Vegas struggled to contain those big plays. This week, he connected with DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams for two 30+ yard touchdown passes.
“We got to hit [big plays] when we get the chance to,” said Maye. We hit most of them today. We still have some that I think we could [have hit]. I’m proud of the guys for executing”.
New England’s offense has seen an uptick in aggressiveness on drives where they desperately need points. In Week 1, offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels was criticized for calling a safe game when they took an early lead. Since then, the Patriots offense has looked to go for it on 4th down more to end drives scoring points. This week, they successfully converted two 4th downs, which led to a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Rhamondre Stevenson.
“I think it’s a big advantage knowing on a 3rd-and-long or a 3rd-and-medium that we have two downs,” said Maye. “It gives me and coach McDaniels some extra room to operate and be on the same page with the call and try to get us in 4th-and-manageable.”
The Patriots offense received a much-needed boost from several players in this game. With Mack Hollins going down last week, the wide receiver depth was thin, but Douglas and Williams stepped up. Douglas recorded four receptions for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Williams caught 3 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
New England’s next man up mentality extended beyond their receiving corps. Will Campbell exited the game early in the second quarter and was replaced by rookie Caleb Lomu at left tackle. Lomu flashed his potential stepping up for Campbell by only allowing one pressure and one QB hurry on 29 pass blocking snaps. Overall, the Patriots’ offensive line was solid, as they only allowed one sack.
“Just proud of our offensive line. I want to recognize them,” said Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. “Guys stepped up. Caleb had to go in there. We had all hands-on deck”.
In this Week 5 matchup against Las Vegas, the Patriots were without four cornerbacks, including Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III. With so many defensive backs sidelined, it was believed that the New England defense would struggle against the passing game. Fortunately for them, they limited downfield opportunities and generated enough pressure on Kirk Cousins.
Cousins recorded 243 yards on 19-of-28 passing with a touchdown. Though the Patriots’ defense didn’t completely neutralize Cousins, they contained him well by forcing quick throws and limiting YAC (Yards After Catch). Las Vegas WRs generated limited production, as none of them had more than 50 receiving yards.
“[The next man up] is what it has to be,” said Vrabel. “We try not to panic. We just try to get the next guy ready. We ask everybody to prepare as a starter. It’s a credit to the football players”.
In the secondary, Kindle Vildor and Charles Woods saw an increase in action. They helped play solid coverage with the top two corners, Gonzalez and Davis, out this week. Vildor and Woods combined for three pass deflections and eight total tackles.
With the losses in the secondary, it was important that the Patriots’ defensive line generated pressure. Though the team’s pass rush wasn’t very consistent, Elijah Ponder managed to create disruptive plays by winning off the edge. He compiled two sacks, six total tackles, and three QB hits, which included a sack-fumble to close the first half.
“Ponder is just continuing to prove that he is a dominant force on that edge,” said Robert Spillane. “As an undrafted guy last year, he just continues to grow and show his capabilities. I think he did a great job rushing the passer. We knew we had to stop the run early, force must throw situations and then get after the passer”.
The Patriots’ rush defense was particularly effective in Week 5. The Raiders have a talented young duo of Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr., who struggled to find consistency against the New England defensive front. They only combined for 32 yards on 11 carries.
Though the New England defense looked good for most of the game, they did struggle in some areas. For the first time this season, they struggled to cover tight ends. After not allowing a single TE to gain more than 50 yards in a game, they were pounced on by Brock Bowers. In the game, Bowers gained 110 yards on 8 receptions with a touchdown.
With this Week 5 win, Maye and the Patriots demonstrated their ability to overcome adversity and learn from early season errors. Maye delivered a turnover-free performance while elevating the offense with his deep ball ability. Meanwhile, the New England defense maintained stout with several players out due to injury. Though there are areas still needing improvement, the team is showing that progress is being made. With players expected to make their return next week, the organization will be looking to keep the ball rolling ahead of their matchup with the New York Jets.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
