New England Patriots
“I thought that they understood what the protection was and how to keep the middle of the pocket clean.”
Drake Maye and the Patriots shredded the Raiders on Sunday. Photo by: Barry Chin/Globe Staff
October 11, 2026 | 6:38 PM
3 minutes to read
FOXBOROUGH — After the Patriots’ 45-17 drubbing of the Raiders on Sunday, most of the focus understandably centered on Drake Maye’s dominant performance and the play of a shorthanded wide receiver corps.
But speaking after the win, the Patriots’ QB said that his aerial assault (26-of-34, 374 yards, four passing touchdowns) wouldn’t have been possible without New England’s offensive line keeping him off the turf.
“I’m confident in myself and my abilities and the guys around me,” Maye said after New England’s lopsided win. “Part of it, on the first touchdown to [DeMario Douglas], I’m back there — credit to the offensive line — eating a ham sandwich.
“I’ve got all day back there, and I think that’s something I’m working on back there, when I’ve got time, to just sit in there and find somebody open.”
Maye’s opening salvo — a 35-yard touchdown to Douglas on New England’s first drive of the afternoon — was the byproduct of a horrid busted coverage from Las Vegas and a dart from the Patriots’ QB.
But Maye was also able to let the play develop, with New England’s O-line giving him plenty of time to scan downfield and uncork one of his heaves.
In a game where Maye accounted for five total touchdowns and 399 total yards of offense, perhaps the most encouraging stat drawn from Sunday was zero turnovers — as well as just one sack from the Raiders’ defense.
Both of those promising results were a direct result of Maye getting a clean pocket for a majority of the afternoon.
That was far from a given entering Sunday’s game, especially after New England’s line seemed to spring a few leaks in last week’s gutsy win over the Bills.
The Raiders — anchored by elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby — seemed to have a blueprint to disrupt Maye.
Entering Sunday’s game, the Raiders led the NFL with nine forced turnovers, including a league-leading five fumble recoveries. That would seemingly spell danger for Maye, who still committed nine turnovers in the first four games of the 2026 campaign.
But the lone turnover Las Vegas generated on Sunday was a forced fumble against running back Cory Kiner — with Maye making the right decisions with the ball in his hands and not under duress or forced into ill-timed throws.
After New England lost starting left tackle Will Campbell to a knee injury in the second quarter, the Patriots’ O-line didn’t splinter — even with rookie Caleb Lomu and backup Ben Brown at left tackle and right guard, respectively.
According to NextGenStats, both Campbell and Lomu were knocked for three total pressures in the win, while center Jared Wilson only accounted for two pressures while anchoring the middle of the line.
There were a few fires on the right side, with Brown and Morgan Moses accounting for 10 total pressures.
But given both the injuries that have shredded that segment of the roster, Mike Vrabel doled out plenty of praise for his offensive line following Sunday’s win.
“Just proud of our offensive line, and I want to recognize them. I thought that they understood what the protection was and how to keep the middle of the pocket clean,” Vrabel said. “There was a lot of time for us to progress down the field, and then they run blitz zero, and we blocked it up and was able to hit some plays down the field.
“And so that’s a testament to them for understanding what they have to be able to do, and guys stepped up. Caleb [Lomu] had to go in there, and you know, everybody, we had all hands on deck.’”
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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