Pats Pulpit
At least for the first half, the New England Patriots appeared to start off the Mike Vrabel era on the right foot. However, they were unable to maintain their early momentum en route to a 20-13 opening day loss to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders.
Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.
The Patriots defense started the 2025 season off on the wrong foot, giving up a six-play, 66-yard touchdown drive right out of the gate. The Raiders continued moving the ball well on their second possession, advancing all the way to the New England 40-yard line.
At that point, however, the unit of coordinator Terrell Williams fought back: cornerback Carlton Davis got his hand on a Geno Smith pass intended for tight end Brock Bowers, with teammate Jaylinn Hawkins registering the interception. The pick was a major turning point in the first half, shifting momentum back to New England.
Even though he was the Patriots’ most consistent pass catcher in training camp, DeMario Douglas had a relatively quiet first half versus the Raiders. His lone reception, however, was a big one.
Facing a 3rd-and-goal at the Las Vegas 2-yard line, Drake Maye found the third-year wideout with a step on the nearest defender in the end zone. That was all it took for New England toe tie the game at 7-7 late in the third period.
Even though they had only 10 points to show for — in part due to a missed 40-yard field goal — Drake Maye and the Patriots offense had a lot of positive moments in the first half. The second, however, started out differently and allowed the Raiders to re-gain the upper hand in the contest.
On a 2nd-and-7 at their own 48-yard line, the right side of the Patriots’ offensive line failed to pick up a stunt allowing a free rusher to get in Maye’s face. The pressure forced an errant throw that ended up in the arms of Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao for the interception. Five plays later, The visitors scored a go-ahead touchdown to take a 14-10 lead.
Down 10 points with under four minutes on the clock, the Patriots’ odds were already slim when they lined up for a 3rd-and-20 at the Raiders’ 30-yard line. Still, getting off the field in this situation would have at least given them a shot at two scoring drives and a stop.
However, that did not happen. Terrell Williams sent a six-man pressure toward Geno Smith, but New England’s pass rush failed to get close to the Las Vegas QB. Instead, Smith found receiver Dont’e Thornton downfield; the rookie had created separation against Carlton Davis for a 36-yard gain that very much iced the game.
