FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — With his team leading by 10 points and facing a long third down late in the fourth, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was calm.
Find a way to pick up a first down and eat some clock, and the Patriots would be left in desperation mode. But a three-and-out could give New England new life.
"Those situations, game on the line, I love the ball in my hands. That's what I live for," Smith said.
He showed why, tossing a 36-yard pass to Dont'e Thornton that helped the Raiders run the clock under two minutes and put the game away.
Smith finished with 362 yards and a touchdown in his Raiders debut while rookie Ashton Jeanty rushed for his first TD and Las Vegas rallied to beat the Patriots 20-13 in their season-opener Sunday.
Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 103 yards before leaving with a knee injury. Jakobi Meyers added eight catches for 97 yards. Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce also added sacks to help give Pete Carroll his first victory as the Raiders' coach.
“Geno had a regular game today,” Carroll said. “I don't think it was a big statement game or anything like that. I just think it was what he does.”
Smith had nine pass plays that went for 20 or more yards, tied for the most in his career. It also was the most in a single game by a Raiders quarterback since at least 1991.
Las Vegas outscored the Patriots 13-3 in the second half. New England got within seven points on a 44-yard field goal by rookie Andy Borregales, but its ensuing onside kick rolled out of bounds.
New England was just 4 of 14 on third down in coach Mike Vrabel's debut. The Patriots rushed 18 times for only 60 yards.
Drake Maye was 30 of 46 for 287 yards and a touchdown but also had an interception that led to the Raiders’ go-ahead score. Kayshon Boutte finished with six catches for 103 yards. Jaylinn Hawkins had an interception and a sack.
Vrabel said avoiding late deficits must start with getting more overall production offensively.
“We have to be more balanced,” Vrabel said.
Las Vegas trailed 10-7 early in the third when Maye threw an errant pass that was picked off by Isaiah Pola-Mao.
The Raiders opened their ensuing drive with back to-back passes to Meyers for 23 and 19 yards. The second grab by Meyers was augmented by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call on Jaylinn Hawkins that set Las Vegas up on the New England 14.
Jeanty scored two plays later from 3 yards out to put the Raiders in front 14-10.
With his first-quarter sack, Crosby is one of just five players in the NFL to record 60 or more sacks since 2019, the year he was drafted. The others are T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Nick Bosa.
Raiders: Bowers left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. LB Elandon Roberts exited with a left elbow injury following a collision late in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Patriots: Boutte was helped off late in the first quarter after taking a hard hit from Devin White following a 24-yard catch. Boutte returned in the second quarter.
The Raiders opened the game with a 23-yard pass by Smith to Bowers. They needed just three more plays to get inside the Patriots 25. Then, following a holding penalty, Smith capped the drive with a 26-yard TD pass to Tre Tucker to put Las Vegas in front 7-0.
A quick Patriots three-and-out gave it back to the Raiders and they continued to gash New England’s secondary with long receptions to Meyers and Jack Bech.
The Patriots defense finally found some traction when Carlton Davis III tipped a pass intended for Bowers that was pulled in by Jaylinn Hawkins for an interception.
It set up a 12-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard TD pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas.
New England took a 10-7 lead on a 35-yard field goal by Borregales.
Raiders: Host Chargers on Sept. 15.
Patriots: At Miami next Sunday.
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