FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye produced a dominant five-touchdown showing on Sunday to lead the New England Patriots to a 45-17 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.
Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards, four passing scores and zero turnovers, while also running for a touchdown, NESN reported. The lopsided victory brought New England to a 3-2 record following an upset win over the Buffalo Bills the previous week.
Offense clicks while defense withstands injuries
New England took control early when Maye hit DeMario Douglas on a second-down throw over the middle for an early score, according to NESN. Las Vegas answered when Kirk Cousins found star tight end Brock Bowers on a 13-yard touchdown pass to briefly tie the contest, Sports Illustrated reported. However, the Patriots regained control and never looked back.
Rhamondre Stevenson punched in a touchdown run to restore the advantage, and Maye connected with tight end Hunter Henry on a 26-yard score late in the second quarter. The Patriots carried momentum into the second half, where Maye connected with Kyle Williams on a touchdown pass and later scored on a short run of his own on third-and-goal, NESN reported. Douglas capped his day by catching his second touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Maye praised his pass protection following the game, telling reporters, “In the first touchdown to Pop [Douglas], I’m back there, credit to the offensive line, eating a ham sandwich. I got all day back there,” Patriots Wire reported.
The offensive surge came despite substantial injury setbacks. Starting left tackle Will Campbell exited early with a knee injury, and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson left with an ankle issue, with both ruled out for the remainder of the contest, according to NESN. Defensively, New England entered Sunday without four of its top cornerbacks, including Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III, Patriots Wire reported.
Reserve defensive players stepped into major roles. Outside linebacker Elijah Ponder recorded two sacks on Cousins, while defensive back Kindle Vildor added four tackles and a forced fumble after being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, according to Patriots Wire.
Raiders drop second straight after quick start
Las Vegas fell to 3-2 on the season after opening the year with three consecutive victories, Sports Illustrated reported. The Raiders managed only 38 rushing yards on 18 attempts against the Patriots’ front, with Ashton Jeanty held to 27 yards on 10 carries while battling leg issues, according to Sports Illustrated.
Bowers remained Las Vegas’ primary weapon, hauling in eight receptions for 110 yards and a score, Sports Illustrated noted. Dylan Laube contributed the team’s only rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter before Andy Borregales tacked on a field goal.
With the outcome decided, Las Vegas replaced Cousins late in the fourth quarter with rookie Fernando Mendoza, the top overall pick in the 2026 draft, Sports Illustrated reported. Mendoza made his regular-season NFL debut by completing six of eight attempts for 48 yards over the final six minutes of regulation.
The Patriots return to Foxborough next Sunday to host the New York Jets in an AFC East divisional matchup, NESN reported. The Raiders must regroup after dropping consecutive contests as they evaluate injuries across the roster.
