Patriots Offense Sputters as Raiders Take Commanding 23-6 Victory: Live Game Log
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The NFL preseason has officially reached crunch time, with teams across the league kicking off their last exhibition game before final cuts on Tuesday.
As such, Friday night's matchup between the New England Patriots (1-1) and Las Vegas Raiders (3-0) is highly important to those on the roster bubble, and there should be plenty of snaps to go around.
The two teams met during joint practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving the starters about as many reps as needed. The Raiders aren't expected to play quarterback Derek Carr, receiver Davante Adams or any of their other first-team players, while the Patriots will only give their starters "minimal" run.
Here's the injury report entering the preseason finale:
via ESPN
Follow along with Patriots Country as we keep you up to date on each drive and scoring play Friday night from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
In-game updates will appear below after kickoff ...
The Raiders won the toss and deferred. The Patriots will start on offense.
First Quarter
Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson's kick went through the endzone for a touchback. New England begins at the 25.
On the first play, Mac Jones found DeVante Parker for a gain of eight yards. However, a Rhamondre Stevenson carry resulted in a loss of four, and Jones was sacked for a loss of 13 on 3rd and 6, forcing a New England punt.
Jake Bailey's 57-yard punt was returned by DJ Turner for a gain of 11, giving Las Vegas the ball at its own 38.
Change of Possession
The Raiders, led by quarterback Jarrett Stidham, started fast, gaining almost 50 yards on three plays, with a 30-yard completion to tight end Jesper Horstead positioning them inside the New England 15.
Three straight runs by Zamir White netted just eight yards, with Kyle Dugger bursting through the middle on 3rd and 2 to stop White on his tracks. The Raiders opted to kick a 23-yard field goal, which Carlson knocked through the uprights.
Raiders 3, Patriots 0
Change of Possession
Carlson's kickoff once again resulted in a touchback. New England, led by Jones, will start from its own 25.
The first play of the drive, a Ty Montgomery run for no gain, was called back for a hold on Michael Onwenu, giving the Patriots a 1st and 20.
Jones found receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Jonnu Smith for five yards apiece. On 3rd and 10, Jones used his legs to pick up 13 and move the chains.
On the first play with a fresh set of downs, Montgomery suffered an injury and was carted off the field.
The Patriots gave Stevenson consecutive carries, gaining 11 yards for the first down. The next play, Jones looks, rolls, and targets receiver Kendrick Bourne ... but is picked by linebacker Luke Masterson.
A 30-yard return positions the Raiders in prime position to add on to their lead, operating from the New England 32.
Change of Possession
Stidham, a former Patriot, looks sharp early. He found Dillon Stoner for a gain of eight before hitting another big play to a tight end, this time Cole Fotheringham, for 20 yards down to the New England 4.
After a Stidham incompletion, the Raiders ran a pitch to the left, with blockers giving Zamir White a clear runway to the endzone. Touchdown, Raiders.
Carlson's extra point is good.
Raiders 10, Patriots 0
Change of Possession
Jones is back out for his third drive. His first pass - a deep shot to Parker - fell incomplete, and he took a shot after releasing the ball. A two-yard carry by Stevenson gave the Patriots a 3rd and 8.
Jones, given a clean pocket, found tight end Hunter Henry underneath, but he managed to gain just seven before being taken down short of the line to gain.
Bailey's 57-yard punt was fair caught by Turner, giving the Raiders the ball at their own nine with just under two minutes to go in the quarter.
Change of Possession
Chase Garbers takes over for Stidham at quarterback, still facing New England's first-team defense.
The Raiders are giving undrafted rookie running back Brittain Brown some touches; his carry to start the drive went for no gain, and he took a screen pass seven yards before being brought down by Raekwon McMillan.
On 3rd and 3, Garbers was forced to bury the ball as he was chased from the pocket by Matthew Judon, concluding the first quarter.
Second Quarter
AJ Cole's 64-yard punt was returned 20 yards by Marcus Jones, who nearly coughed it up at the end. His return gives New England the ball on its own 37.
Change of Possession
Jones is still under center for New England; whether or not this is a product of a rough start or the plan all along remains to be seen, but he's certainly receiving more action than initially expected.
After a one-yard completion to Parker, Jones hit Nelson Agholor for a gain of 13 over the middle, pushing New England into Raiders territory.
A four-yard pass to Bourne and three-yard carry by JJ Taylor led to a 3rd and 3, where Jones took a shot to Parker but couldn't connect.
New England pushed the issue, going for it on 4th and 3, which proved to be the right move as Jones hit Bourne for 13.
A completion to Henry for 16 set New England up inside the 15, but Jones was sacked for a loss of six on 1st and 10. A 13-yard by Stevenson set up another 3rd and short, with Jones finding Parker on a back-shoulder ball in the endzone ... but it's called back due to offensive pass interference on Parker.
On 3rd and 13, Jones was chased nearly 20 yards backwards before throwing it away. Nick Folk's 35-yard field goal split the uprights, putting New England on the board.
Raiders 10, Patriots 3
Change of Possession
Starting from their own 25, the Raiders instantly punched back, as Garbers found Tyron Johnson for 45 yards, beating Terrance Mitchell.
Faced with a 3rd and 2, the Raiders converted on the ground, but it was called back due to a hold on tight end Nick Bowers. On 3rd and 12, they tried to set up a screen, but New England's defense had it well covered.
Carlson connected on a 50-yard kick, pushing the Raiders lead back to 10.
Raiders 13, Patriots 3
Change of Possession
Mac Jones' night is over, as it's officially Brian Hoyer time in Las Vegas.
Hoyer's first drive was efficient but ultimately ineffective, going 3 of 3 but connecting only on underneath routes, with a 10-yard dump off to Taylor being the highlight play.
New England punted on 4th and 1 from its own 44. Bailey's 49-yard boot was returned 15 yards by Turner, setting the Raiders up at their own 22.
Change of Possession
Garbers gained four on a scramble and running back Austin Walter added five more on the ground, setting up a 3rd and 1 on the other side of the two-minute warning.
Garbers' quick pass to receiver Isaiah Zuber fell incomplete, with Mitchell in good coverage. Cole's booming 63-yard punt chased Jones back to the six, with a 15-yard return giving New England a chance to run the two-minute drill from just across the 20.
Change of Possession
It's still Hoyer under center. He found Lil'Jordan Humphrey for a gain of four on first down before connecting with Josh Hammond for 13, the longest pass play of the evening for Hoyer.
The next play, Hoyer was hit and sacked by Tashawn Bower, who knocked the ball out in the process; Hoyer was in the middle of his throwing motion. In a huge scramble, Taylor sprinted and dove for the ball, saving the possession for New England.
On 2nd and 18, Hoyer rewarded Taylor for his effort by dumping one down to him, gaining 12 and setting up a manageable third down. However, Hoyer's pass to Tre Nixon - which would've been enough to move the chains - led the receiver too much, forcing another punt.
Bailey's boot went 45 yards, with Justin Hall returning it for 14 yards out to the Las Vegas 27.
Change of Possession
Garbers, working with just under 35 seconds on the clock, had his drop rudely interrupted by Daniel Ekuale, who sacked the quarterback for a loss of 10.
An incomplete screen pass to Brown was followed by an 18-yard completion to Keelan Cole, but Las Vegas was forced to punt.
AJ Cole's punt went 40 yards, bouncing out of bounds and bringing the half to an end.
Change of Possession
End of First Half
Third Quarter
Bailey's kick went through the back of the endzone. Las Vegas will start from its own 25.
A three-yard carry by Brown and incomplete pass by Garbers set up a 3rd and 7. Garbers hit Walter out of the backfield, and he was drilled instantly by rookie Jack Jones, forcing a fumble that eventually went out of bounds for a three-yard loss.
Cole's punt led Jabrill Peppers out of bounds, and New England gets the ball on its own 13.
Change of Possession
Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe has entered the game for the Patriots. His first pass was a 10-yard completion to Hammond, but a short gain negated by a Zappe fumble led to a 3rd and 10.
Zappe found Matt Sokol underneath for nine yards, just short of the down to gain. Bailey's 52-yard punt was fair caught by Hall at the 16.
Change of Possession
A pair of carries by Brown gave the Raiders a fresh set of downs, but Garbers was sacked by Anfernee Jennings the following play, putting the Raiders behind the chains.
Garbers tried to bullet a pass to Zuber, but Jack Jones showed up once again, delivering a big hit right as the ball arrived.
On 3rd and 15, Garbers could only dump it down to Horsted for a marginal gain, but an unnecessary roughness penalty on Peppers - for taking a shot at Horsted's upper body as he was being dragged out of bounds - extended the drive.
Three straight carries - one off script by Garbers and two by Brown - led to a 4th and 1 just past midfield, with the Raiders opting to go for it.
Las Vegas gives the ball to Brown ... and he's stood up by Jeremiah Pharms and Mack Wilson. The Raiders give the Patriots the ball back at the New England 49.
Change of Possession
After a first down pass over the middle to Hammond wound up incomplete, Zappe fired a comeback route to Nixon for a 15-yard gain.
Rookie running back Kevin Harris, on his first touch of the game, rips off a 33-yard gain down to the Las Vegas 3.
The next play, fellow rookie tail back Pierre Strong found the endzone, but like Parker's play earlier, had the touchdown called back, this time due to a holding penalty on tight end Jalen Wydermyer.
On 1st and Goal from the 13, Zappe hit Sokol for five. New England gave Strong another chance, but he didn't find the same success, with Amik Robertson bringing him down for a loss of one.
On third down, Zappe rolled right and found Hammond for a gain of five, but he couldn't get enough yards after the catch to reach the endzone.
New England settles for another short field goal, capitalizing on the quality field position with Folk knocking one in from 22.
Raiders 13, Patriots 6
Change of Possession
Tristan Vizcaino's first kickoff of the night sailed through the endzone. Las Vegas will start at its own 25.
The drive started with promise for the Raiders offense, as Garbers hit Keelan Cole for a gain of 21. Keeping the ball through the air, Garbers found Brown for a six-yard gain, but his next two passes fell incomplete.
AJ Cole's 35-yard punt was fair caught by Marcus Jones at the New England 13.
Change of Possession
Zappe was sacked for a loss of six on the first play, but Harris turned in another effective run, gaining 11 to give New England a manageable 3rd and 5. Zappe's deep shot to Tre Nixon was close, but the timing and placement was slightly off.
Bailey had another long boot, this one for 65 yards. However, he outkicked his coverage, and Hall took the punt back 30 yards, giving the Raiders the ball at their own 47 as the quarter came to a close.
Change of Possession
Fourth Quarter
The Raiders dink-and-dunked their way down the field, with Garbers and Walter leading the charge. Las Vegas converted a key 3rd and 6 on a tough pass to Zuber to move inside the red zone, with Marcus Jones in close proximity.
Given a larger throwing window on 3rd and 7 a few plays later, Garbers threw behind and off the hands of Keelan Cole. Carlson's 33-yard field goal is good, extending the Raiders' lead to double digits with under 10 minutes to play.
Raiders 16, Patriots 6
Change of Possession
The Patriots will start the drive from their own 25, desperately in need of points. Under almost immediate pressure, Zappe's arm was hit as he was trying to check the ball down to Strong, with the pass being ruled incomplete.
Strong gained five on the ground and six through the air to extend the drive and racked up seven more on a short pass the play after.
Keeping it on the ground with Strong, the Patriots gained four more yards, but it was negated due to a hold on Chasen Hines.
Down two possessions with the clock ticking, Zappe tried to push the ball downfield, but his pass sailed high, with Zuber - playing both sides of the ball - coming down with the interception.
Change of Possession
With a combination of chain-moving completions from Garbers and adequate runs by Brown and Walter, the Raiders worked their way down inside the 10.
Faced with 3rd and Goal from the 3, Las Vegas ran the same play it did in the first quarter - a toss to the left, this time to Brown. Same result. Touchdown, Raiders.
Raiders 23, Patriots 6
Change of Possession
Down big late, the Patriots are just trying to get to the plane, but these snaps still matter to some. After being stuffed for no gain, Harris caught a pass for seven yards, and Zappe found Nixon for 17 to take it to the two-minute warning.
Harris gains eight on the ground ... but coughs it up. Las Vegas recovers, and that'll just about do it.
Change of Possession
Garbers takes three knees and puts this one in the books. New England will be back in action on Sept. 11 for the regular season opener, taking on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
End of Game: Raiders 23, Patriots 6
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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