HENDERSON, Nev. — It’s not that all the questions about the Raiders’ defense have gone away, especially given the Patriots’ offensive ineptitude, but for one game, that side of the ball more than did its job.
Las Vegas completely shut down New England in the second half, only allowing a late field goal after Sunday’s 20-13 victory was all but secured. The Patriots moved into scoring position for that kick because the Raiders played the clock game and allowed Drake Maye to complete a series of short passes.
Until that point, the Patriots had six consecutive empty possessions — five ended in punts and the other with an interception. They gained just 82 yards in those drives.
“Everybody is talking about how the defense is going to be a weakness of our team,” safety Isaiah Pola-Mao said. “It’s great to come out and have that kind of game from our defense. We’ve got to build off of that.”
The Las Vegas defense should get a major test Monday night when Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers visit. Herbert passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns and showed his athleticism by putting away a 27-21 victory over Kansas City in Brazil with a 19-yard run on third-and-14.
Under second-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers have designs on unseating the Chiefs in the AFC West. Now the Raiders get to enter that conversation, and maybe their defense will give them a chance against the Chargers and other divisional opponents.
First-year coach Pete Carroll oversaw the intimidating “Legion of Boom” defense in Seattle, and he already has put his stamp on the Raiders’ unit. He also retained coordinator Patrick Graham, who last season still got quality production out of a Las Vegas defense decimated by injuries.
Their collaboration and halftime adjustments were critical to not only defeating the Patriots, but shutting them down.
“I thought Pat really adjusted well to what was going on in the game,” Carroll said. “They threw the ball quite a bit, and he adjusted quickly and put us in good positions for rushing in, for covering and changing up and disguising and things like that. That really worked out for us. You could feel the surge on defense. It kind of changed the complexion of the game.”
Now it’s matter of doing it again Monday and then the rest of the season.
Until that happens, questions about the Raiders’ defense won’t completely go away.
Geno Smith completed 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown, the second-most yards for a Raiders quarterback in a season opener — behind only Derek Carr’s 435 against Baltimore in 2021. Smith, who the Raiders acquired from the Seahawks, overcame a first-quarter interception that wiped out momentum the rest of the half as well as a shaky offensive line that allowed four sacks.
That line not only had trouble protecting Smith, it failed to open running lanes for rookie Ashton Jeanty. The sixth pick in the NFL draft rushed for 38 yards on 19 carries, and 44 yards came after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. The line needs to get it right for Jeanty to have a chance to live up to his lofty expectations.
The Raiders’ pass rush came from all over, sacking Maye four times. That was the most for the franchise since it had four against Indianapolis in 2013. The Raiders also pressured Maye on 22% of passing plays, according to Sportradar, and registered nine QB hits.
AJ Cole might be the NFL’s best punter, but he put two in the end zone for touchbacks for a 38.6-yard net average. He hasn’t finished a season with a net average less than 40 yards since his rookie season in 2019.
Tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and linebacker Elandon Roberts (elbow) were injured, and Carroll called both day to day. Bowers expressed hope after the game that having an extra day before playing the Chargers would help him get back on the field for Monday night. Carroll also said Smith played through a tight hamstring.
9 — The number of completions Smith had that were 20 yards or longer, which tied his career high and equaled the Raiders’ best since at least 1991.
The Raiders play their first divisional opponent when the Chargers visit next Monday night.
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