New England Patriots
Drake Maye finished with five total touchdowns in a dominant showing against the Raiders.
Drake Maye and the Patriots offense doled out plenty of damage against the Raiders. Photo by: Barry Chin/Globe Staff
October 11, 2026 | 4:37 PM
10 minutes to read
FOXBOROUGH — Welcome back, Drake Maye.
After New England seemingly shifted its fortunes with a gutsy road win over the Bills last Sunday, Maye and the Patriots looked a whole lot like their 2025 versions against the Raiders — dominating on both sides of the ball en route to a convincing 45-17 win at Gillette Stadium.
Here are 12 takeaways from the win in Foxborough.
Patriots seem to be over their early-season woes
So much for the talk of a season rife with regression for Maye and the Patriots.
After an ugly start to the year with two losses against the Seahawks and Jaguars, the 2026 Patriots are looking a lot more like the dynamic, tenacious bunch that shocked most of the NFL last year.
After leaving Buffalo with a 29-26 win in Week 4, the Patriots proved that such a dramatic win wasn’t a fluke — as Maye and the Patriots steamrolled a Raiders team that entered the day with a surprising 3-1 record.
It’s been a roller coaster start for Mike Vrabel and his team. But with two of New England’s next three games set against cellar-dwellers in the Jets and Dolphins, a 3-2 Patriots team can really start to hit its stride in the coming weeks.
Drake Maye dominates
Maye’s disastrous results against Seattle and Jacksonville seem like a long time ago.
After throwing three touchdowns in New England’s win in Buffalo, Maye was once again stellar in the win over the Raiders — elevating an offensive unit that was short multiple key starters due to injury.
Maye was in control throughout Sunday, routinely uncorking throws down the field for massive gains, using his legs to pick up first downs — and most importantly, avoiding any turnovers for the first time this season.
The Patriots’ third-year QB finished the game completing 26-of-34 throws for 374 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 25 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Sunday marked the first time in Maye’s NFL career that he’s recorded at least three passing touchdowns in back-to-back games. Maye is just the second QB in Patriots history to record four passing touchdowns and a rushing score in a single game — joining Steve Grogan (Dec. 13, 1987).
Rhamondre Stevenson added 64 yards and a rushing touchdown, while six Patriots players caught at least three passes against Las Vegas. It was a welcome showing for a Patriots pass-catching corps that could have A.J. Brown back as soon as next week.
There were plenty of valid questions about Maye’s decision-making and whether defenses were starting to figure out the dynamic QB in 2026. If so, the Raiders sure didn’t get the memo.
Patriots’ banged-up defense holds its own
Even without its two starting corners in Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, the Patriots defense corralled Kirk Cousins and the Raiders’ offense for most of the day.
A lot of that success was rooted in New England generating plenty of pressure against Cousins, with Milton Williams wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage.
Elijah Ponder continues to ascend as a pass-rushing threat with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble, while New England forced a turnover in the third quarter after Kevin Byard ripped the ball from Brock Bowers and Craig Woodson pounced on the fumble.
The Patriots still need Gonzalez back as soon as possible, given his standing as one of the top cover corners in the league. But Zak Kuhr’s defense deserves plenty of credit for dialing up creative blitzes and several depth players rising to the occasion in back-to-back wins.
Las Vegas gained just 38 rushing yards and were 5-of-13 on third downs.
Will Campbell exits with injury
The Patriots might have taken care of business against the Raiders. But they still felt the sting of the injury bug in the win.
During the second quarter, starting left tackle Will Campbell went down with a knee injury — with New England eventually ruling him out for the rest of the afternoon. On a Stevenson rush, the Patriots running back landed on the back of Campbell’s right knee — the same knee that Campbell tore the MCL on last season.
Campbell fell to the turf and was looked at by the training staff before eventually getting back on his feet. He slowly made it over to the sideline and into the medical tent, but then went into the locker room before halftime. The team ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
Campbell was replaced by Patriots 2026 first-round pick Caleb Lomu, who slotted in at left tackle for the remainder of the afternoon.
Any long-term injury to Campbell would be a major setback for New England’s offense, with the second-year tackle in the midst of a strong sophomore campaign.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson also left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury, while cornerback Charles Woods (shoulder) and Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) were shaken up.
Woods’ injury forced an already paper-thin Patriots secondary to roll with four safeties for the remainder of the afternoon.
Patriots honor 2001 team
Ahead of kick-off, the Patriots honored the team that ushered in a two-decade dynasty in Foxborough.
New England paid tribute to the 2001 Patriots in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, saluting the team on the 25th anniversary of the season that started it all for this franchise.
Dozens of players and coaches from that championship squad were in attendance, including: Ty Law, Troy Brown, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Lawyer Milloy, Tedy Bruschi, Adam Vinatieri, Matt Light, Antowain Smith, Kevin Faulk, Ted Johnson, Stephen Neal, Patrick Pass, Tebucky Jones, Matt Chatham, Lonie Paxton, Jeremaine Wiggins, Charlie Weis, Dante Scarnecchia, Ivan Fears, Joe Andruzzi, Marc Edwards, Otis Smith, Tom Ashworth, Kole Ayi, Jimmy Farris, Bobby Hamilton, Antwan Harris, Drew Inzer, Andy Katzenmoyer, Brandon Mitchell, Marty Moore, David Nugent, Anthony Pleasant, and Ken Walter.
About 30 minutes before kick-off between the Patriots and Raiders, the Patriots welcomed a sizable contingent of former players and coaches onto the field. As U2’s “Beautiful Day” blared over the speakers, the group emerged from the tunnel at Gillette Stadium—mimicking the 2001 Patriots taking the field in New Orleans as one unit in Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Patriots also paid tribute to those lost 25 years after 9/11, with former Patriots offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi and his three brothers—Jimmy, Billy, and Marc— holding small American flags and FDNY helmets on the field.
Andruzzi’s three brothers were FDNY firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center during the tragic events of that day. In the Patriots’ first game after the attacks, Andruzzi ran onto the field at Foxboro Stadium holding a pair of American flags.
“Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 — who performed the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI — played as former Patriots and coaches continued to salute the sizable contingent of fans in their seats ahead of kickoff.
Before the current Patriots took the field, Bruschi and several teammates served as the “Keepers of the Light”—ringing the bell high atop the lighthouse at Gillette Stadium — while Vinatieri, wearing a gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket, rang a bell on the field.
A great start
The Patriots couldn’t have scripted a better start to Sunday’s outing.
After New England’s defense forced Kirk Cousins and the Raiders into a quick 3-and-out to open the game, Maye and the Patriots marched down the field in short order.
While New England didn’t gain much on the ground, the Patriots’ O-line gave Maye plenty of time to operate in the pocket, allowing him to gain 51 yards on two completions.
That second throw led to six points. With Maye getting plenty of time after the snap, he capitalized on a busted coverage from the Raiders’ defense, hitting a wide open DeMario Douglas in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown.
It was a promising start for Maye and a Patriots offense looking to sustain some momentum after last week’s impressive performance against the Bills. It was only beginning for the Patriots’ QB on Sunday afternoon.
Bowers counters for Raiders
New England’s shorthanded secondary quickly felt the loss of both Gonzalez and Davis, especially when it came to covering Bowers, Las Vegas’ star tight end.
Bowers was a matchup nightmare on the Raiders’ next drive, accounting for 37 of his team’s 80 total yards in a fruitful touchdown drive.
Matching up 5-foot-8 Marcus Jones against 6-foot-4 Bowers was an ill-advised move, as Bowers snagged a 50-50 ball over the Patriots corner to move the chains on a 3rd-and-2 from Vegas’ own 23.
Bowers then reeled in another ball over Jones’ head into the end zone to knot the game at 7-7 with 8:19 to go in the first quarter.
Patriots get rewarded for being aggressive on fourth down
After running plays on several fourth down opportunities against the Bills last week, Vrabel and his staff kept their foot on the pedal against the Raiders.
New England’s 11-play, 84-yard touchdown drive featured two successful fourth-down conversions— the first a gutsy pickup on 4th-and-2 from New England’s own 48-yard line.
Maye moved the chains after hitting Douglas on a crosser for a six-yard pickup, and a 27-yard DPI to Raiders corner Erik Stokes, matched up against Romeo Doubs, put the Patriots in the red zone.
After New England’s drive seemed to stall on a 4th-and-3 from the Raiders’ eight-yard line, the Patriots chose not to settle for a field goal—with Maye hitting Hunter Henry for a seven-yard pickup to put the team on the cusp of another TD.
Stevenson eventually tumbled into the end zone, giving New England a 14-7 lead.
Patriots avoid calamity with Kiner fumble
New England seemed in control near the end of the first half, especially after Ponder took the Raiders out of field goal range by sacking Cousins at the Patriots’ 40-yard line.
The Patriots had a prime opportunity to tack on points on their next drive, but running back Corey Kiner fumbled on his first touch of the afternoon—with ex-Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler punching the ball out.
Las Vegas recovered the ball at New England’s 38-yard line, but could not cash in on that fortuitous break. The Raiders eventually settled for a 49-yard field goal attempt from Matt Gay — only for the ball to clang off the left goal post, much to the delight of the Gillette Stadium crowd.
Maye and the Patriots regained the ball with left on the clock with three timeouts, with New England finally cashing in on some points before the half. New England’s five-play, 61-yard drive ended with a pair of catches from Hunter Henry for 37 yards — the latter a 11-yard TD with just 24 seconds left in the quarter.
New England entered halftime leading 21-7 and with the ball to start the third quarter.
Vinatieri roasts the Raiders in halftime speech
It was a nostalgia-filled afternoon in Foxborough. Not only did New England don its throwback “Pat Patriot” red jerseys, but Sunday’s pregame ceremony was also bookended by a halftime ceremony honoring Adam Vinatieri — who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
As part of Sunday’s halftime ceremony, Vinatieri received his Hall of Fame ring.
“That sure is a pretty ring, but we have a lot of rings around here, don’t we? … It is a true honor being back here with my teammates, an honor to receive this ring, and an honor to always be a part of Patriot history.” Vinatieri said during Sunday’s ceremony, speaking on a stage that also featured three Vince Lombardi trophies and his bronze bust from Canton.
During his speech, Vinatieri twisted the knife against the Raiders—given both the misery he inflicted on them over the years and their shifting ownership hierarchy over the last few years.
“It’s really special to be back here in New England, especially on a day like today. Seeing those Raider jerseys takes me way back,” Vinatieri said. “Takes me back to that snowy night when we beat Oakland [on the way to] win Super Bowl XXXVI. Then years later, I was fortunate enough to be the [NFL’s] all-time leading scorer. We did that in Oakland as well.
“At the time, I thought we owned the Raiders, and you know what? Thanks to Tom [Brady], we actually do. I guess, if you can’t beat them — join them, right?”
Kyle Williams blows game open
It didn’t take long for the Patriots to put Sunday’s game out of reach for the Raiders.
New England reeled off the double-score in the second and third quarters — opening the second half with an efficient four-play, 68-yard touchdown drive.
The Patriots’ banged-up wideout corps continued to deliver, with Efton Chism snagging a 13-yard pass from Maye before the Patriots QB hit Kyle Williams in stride on a 34-yard touchdown heave down the field.
Through just 22 career games in the NFL, Williams now has four touchdowns of 30-plus yards.
Sunday’s game was a good sign for a Patriots offense that doled out plenty of damage against the Raiders without two of Maye’s top targets in A.J. Brown and Mack Hollins on the field.
Williams was a menace as Maye’s go-to deep threat on Sunday, as he also snagged a 49-yard catch at the end of the third quarter.
Patriots ice the game down the stretch
Williams’ touchdown wasn’t the end of New England’s impressive showing on offense, as Maye marched the Patriots down the field on two more occasions to turn this game into a complete laugher.
Maye scampered for a three-yard touchdown run with 3:10 left in the third quarter before closing out the scoring for New England with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Douglas with 6:06 to go in regulation.
Sunday marked the first two-touchdown game of Douglas’ NFL career.
Even though Las Vegas did manage to tack on some points with a field goal from Gay and a two-yard touchdown run from former UNH standout Dylan Laube, it was too little, too late for the Raiders.
Sunday’s lopsided score did give Fernando Mendoza an opportunity to get into the game for Las Vegas, with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft completing 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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