Raiders Routed By Pats, 45-17, As Mendoza Makes NFL Debut

The Las Vegas Raiders got a serious reality check agains the New England Patriots in Foxboro, as they were routed by a score of 45-17 in a game that got so out of hand that top draft pick Fernando Mendoza wound up making his NFL debut at quarterback. 

The Raiders got off to a decent enough start, but it didn’t last long. They were dominated by New England for almost the entire first half, with the problems focused on both sides of the line of scrimmage. 

The two teams swapped touchdowns in the first quarter, with New England scoring first on a 5-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 35-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Drake Maye to receiver Demario Douglas. 

The Raiders struck back with an impressive drive of their own that went 80 yards in six plays, with QB Kirk Cousins hitting tight end Brock Bowers from 13 yards out. 

After that, though, the rest of the first half was all New England. The Patriots running game ran roughshod through and around the Raiders line, and Maye was able to make players with both his legs and his arm. 

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored the next TD on the ground from five yards out, and Maye also scored on the ground via a short 3-yard run before the end of the half.

That made it 21-7 at halftime, and most of what followed was window dressing. New England pulled away on another TD toss, this one from Maye to receiver Kyle Williams from 34 yards out to make it 28-7. The only points the Raiders were able to manage in the third quarter was a 46-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay to make it 35-10 after three. 

The two teams swapped largely meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with the Patriots adding a field goal to account for the 45-17 final score. 

The game became somewhat meaningful late, though, due to the debut of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was subbed in to get some experience with the score well out of hand. Mendoza was able to run the offense competently with New England playing a shell prevent defense, and he wound up going 6-for-8 for 48 yards. His lone drive stalled in the red zone, however, as his fourth-down run for three yards fell short of the first down marker to end the day for Las Vegas, with the Raiders record dropping to 3-2.