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Raiders Unravel as Patriots Get Revenge

The New England Patriots remembered exactly what happened on opening day last season. It was a day the new look Las Vegas Raiders ushered in the Pete Carroll era with a 20-13 road victory giving Raider Nation hope.

That hope quickly faded as the Raiders went on to lose their next four games and 12 of the next 13 in route to a dismal 3-14 season and quickly end the short-lived Carroll regime.

After winning their first three games this season, The Raiders’ promising start to Klint Kubiak’s first season in charge took a major detour Sunday in New England, where a 45-17 blowout loss to the Patriots exposed weaknesses across the board. From a stagnant running game to costly penalties and defensive breakdowns, their second straight defeat revealed how much work still remains in their rebuild.

The Raiders arrived in New England having surrendered fewer penalty yards than any team in the NFL. Then they spent the first half looking like a team that had forgotten how to get out of its own way. After accumulating just 120 penalty yards through their first four games, the Raiders piled up 80 before halftime against the Patriots. That grew to 101 yards by the end of the game.

On defense, the flags created favorable situations for the Patriots. On offense, they pushed the Raiders behind the sticks, asking an already inconsistent unit to overcome distances it too often could not handle.

The penalties were only part of the problem. Negative plays compounded the damage, none more frustrating than an 11-yard loss on a failed end around to Tre Tucker late in the first half. The Raiders had just forced a fumble and taken over at the Patriots’ 38-yard line, with a chance to tie the game or take the lead before halftime. Instead, New England built a 21-7 halftime lead and it only got worse from there.

New England racked up 29 first downs and totaled 536 yards while having a balanced attack. Drake Maye threw for 371 yards while the Patriots ran for 165.

The Raiders continued to fail in establishing a reliable running game. For the fourth time in their five games, they were held under 100 yards on the ground. This effort was particularly concerning as they managed just 38 rushing yards on 18 carries. Ashton Jeanty accounted for 27 yards on 10 carries.

Unlike last week when there was a silver lining the way Las Vegas battled against Kansas City, this game had nothing of the sort. It was the worst all-around performance so far this season.

The Raiders must regroup quickly as they face an even tougher opponent next week. Las Vegas will host Buffalo before traveling again to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. Five of the next six foes are playoff teams from last year so if they don't get things fixed, we may be looking at a replay of last season.