Sportsnaut
Thoughts and observations from the Las Vegas Raiders 20-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday in the NFL opener for each team:
Second Thoughts
Las Vegas took control of the game in the second half, when the Raiders outscored the Patriots 13-3. New England’s second-half possessions ended with an interception and four punts before Andres Borregales made a 44-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play. Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith completed 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards and one TD with one interception. He threw for 222 yards in the final two quarters.
End of the Line
The Raiders are well-stocked at the tight end position and they took full advantage of that talent. Although he left the game with an apparent knee injury in the third quarter, Brock Bowers was targeted eight times and came away with five receptions for a game-high 103 yards. In addition, Michael Mayer had four catches for 38 yards, including an 8-yard reception on a fourth-and-one play in the fourth quarter. That catch set up a 30-yard Daniel Carson field goal that put the Raiders in front 20-10.
Not well run
New England’s best offensive weapon might be rookie running back Treyvon Henderson, but was used sparingly in the running game. Henderson gained 27 yards on five rushing attempts – all in the first half – and his average of 5.4 yards per carry was by far the best of any Patriot player. He caught five passes for 11 yards, but five carries isn’t enough for a player with big-play ability.
High Pressure
It was a good Patriots’ debut for linebacker Harold Landry, who recorded four tackles including 2.5 sacks. Landry played college football at nearby Boston College and also played for Patriots coach Mike Vrabel when both were with the Titans.
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