Raiders 23, Patriots 6: McDaniels, Stidham Hit Preseason Jackpot

The Patriots were done in by a few old friends on Friday.

Dealt a rare preseason trip out west, the New England Patriots are coming home from Las Vegas in the same fashion as many tourists before them: having taken a loss despite the presence of some old friends.

Fortunately for the Pats, the house won't cash this bet, the latest wager a 23-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in each team's preseason finale on Friday night.  

Patriots Country has what you need to know from the final summer contest.

6 defenders in the area pic.twitter.com/s1nufZT58B

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 27, 2022

Just Joshin'

High school football season has only just begun, but the Patriots were treated to a bit of an early homecoming: Las Vegas is about to go into the season with former New England offensive coordinator and playcaller Josh McDaniels at the helm, while former would-be Tom Brady successor Jarrett Stidham made a big case for the backup quarterback job behind Derek Carr against the Patriots' starting offense (4-of-6, 72 yards, 10 points on two drives). 

In turn, New England's primary offense struggled in extended action. A wary performance from Mac Jones, complete with a bizarre interception to Luke Masterson (9-of-13, 71 yards), also isn't going to help matters, especially when he mustered only three points in fou possessions. It's not entirely his fault ... New England's developing offensive line had a tough game ... but it's not exactly what Patriots fans wanted to see heading into the Miami matchup. 

Running on Empty

Already without rookie playmaker Tyquan Thornton, the Patriots were dealt another medical blow when Ty Montgomery had to be carted off with a lower-body injury. While his athletic playmaking abilities could be fulfilled by breakout tight end Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Montgomery was coming into his own as a solid spell option.

Sixth-round pick Kevin Harris did what he could to salvage the summer for a beleaguered New England run game, notably breaking loose for a 33-yard run in the second half, but more or less summed up the ground attack's exhibition affairs with a lost fumble on their final possession. 

Zapped!

Though he threw yet another interception, Bailey Zappe continued to be one of the more consistent rookie passers of the preseason. While eternal Patriots backup Brian Hoyer kept things modest (6-of-7, 46 yards), Zappe was the Patriots top passer (10-of-14, 84 yards) and led a field goal drive in the fourth quarter that fizzled out four yards from the end zone. Zappe will likely appear on the active roster, but it's probably not enough for dressing duties come autumn Sundays. 

Patriot Gains

New England's first-team defense wasn't immune to the Vegas shortcomings (the Raiders led 10-0 after two possessions) but they handled adversity relatively well: Kyle Duggar allowed New England to escape with only a field goal in its first possession while Matthew Judon did his part to try shifting the momentum with a three-and-out completing quarterback pressure. Daniel Ekuale and Anfernee Jennings were able to pick up where Judon left off, as each earned a sack of Vegas rookie Chase Garbers. 

Final Preseason Tally

The Patriots (1-2) split their first two preseason games, losing to the New York Giants on a last-second field goal in the opening week before dominating the Carolina Panthers last week in Foxboro.

Up Next

New England opens its regular season on Sept. 11 at the new-look Miami Dolphins with speedy receiver Tyreek Hill (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

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