Patriots Country

Patriots-Raiders Notebook: Any Silver Linings in Devastating Loss?

Despite the game’s catastrophic end, inconsistent play in all three phases doomed the Patriots to a 30-24 loss to the Raiders in Week 15.

Mike D'Abate

The New England Patriots fell to 7-7 in astounding fashion on Sunday with a 30-24 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, which will be talked about for quite some time. 

Unfortunately for the Pats, it will be for all of the wrong reasons. 

Tied at 24 and with time expiring, Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones "intercepted" a puzzling, and unnecessary lateral attempt from Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers intended for quarterback Mac Jones. The ex-Pat, turned Raider stiff-armed Jones to the turf and returned the ball 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Raiders the win. 

Though New England’s final sequence was confusing to say the the least, its outcome was a crushing defeat for New England — who had rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit to take a 24-17 lead with under two minutes remaining in the game.  

The loss has also put the Pats postseason hopes in serious doubt.

In that vein, here is a closer look at the action from Week 15.

Offense Observations

Despite the week-long rally cries for the Patriots to right their offensive ship, the unit significant regressed against the Raiders in an overall dismal performance. While much may be written about the controversial ending, New England’s problems on offense run much deeper than one botched play. Mac Jones completed only 13 of 31 for 112 yards without a touchdown in a far-below-par outing. Save for a 39-yard completion to Meyers in the fourth-quarter, Jones’ would have averaged a mere 2.4 yards-per-pass, as opposed to his final mean of 3.6. His performance in the fourth quarter (aside from his inability to take down the 6-5, 265-pound Chandler Jones) was a vast improvement from his output in the first three quarters. However, the Pats need their starter to be better than he was, especially when vying for a playoff spot in the home stretch of the season. 

For all the negativity which will rightfully engulf this matchup, the Pats running game actually had a solid, statistical day. Though his status remained uncertain nearly until kickoff, running back Rhamondre Stevenson showed no signs of limitation from an ankle injury which had kept him out of practice earlier in the week. The second-year rusher had a game-high 172 yards on 19 carries and a 34-yard touchdown run, which arguably should have been the game-winner. Stevenson was able to take advantage of the Pats gap-run scheme, with guard Cole Strange pulling to the play side, while tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith provided protection as blockers in 12-man alignments. Rookie Pierre Strong was also productive on his four carries for 25 yards. New England clearly has a strong, young nucleus on which to build in their ground game. 

Defense Observations

While much of the afternoon was marred by inconsistency, the Patriots pass rush continues to be a bright spot in theor defense. Using a combination of speed rush and replacement pressures, the Pats front seven sacked Raiders quarterback three times. Linebacker Josh Uche continues to impress with his ability to bring pressure from various spots. 

Desperately in need of points on their second possession of the third quarter, safety Kyle Dugger provided the spark New England needed to get back in the game. Dugger not only read and anticipated Carr's receiver screen pass, he also jumped it to make the interception and return it for a touchdown. The pick-six cut Las Vegas' lead to 17-10. New England had entered the afternoon raking first in the NFL in points scored off turnovers with 85. Dugger added six to that total, initiating a run of 21-straight points scored by the team in the second half. 

Controversial Call Stands?

Lost in the dramatic nature of the game’s ending is the fact that it was made possible through a controversial ruling by the officiating team in the closing moments of the fourth quarter. 

Carr attempted to find wide receiver Keelan Cole toward the back of the end zone for a 30-yard scoring strike. While it was initially ruled a touchdown by the line official, the play was automatically reviewed, having taken place with less than two minutes left in the game. Multiple camera angles and still-shots seemed to indicate that Cole’s toe first made contact with the ground on the white, out-of bounds mark. 

However, the officials did not agree, and ruled Cole’s catch as a touchdown, tying the game at 24. After the game, senior Vice President of officiating, Walt Anderson, offered the following explanation of the ruling during his postgame pool report:

“Probably the best view was what we term a ‘high end zone’ view. TV gave us the most enhanced view that they had as well. We blew it up and I believe TV blew it up and there was nothing that was clear and obvious either way. Had the ruling on the field been incomplete, we would not have been able to change that either.”

The following is offered without additional comment:

Up Next

The Patriots are on to Cincinnati, as the 10-4 Bengals visit Foxboro for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 24 at Gillette Stadium. 

Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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Mike D'Abate
MIKE D'ABATE

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