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Raider Nation Reacts to Lopsided Road Loss to Patriots

Here's how fans reacted to the Raiders second straight defeat.
Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA;  Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak watches game play against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak watches game play against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The Las Vegas Raiders have now dropped two straight games after beginning the season 3-0.

The Raiders are still in the beginning stages of a rebuild, but are clearly ahead of schedule. However, the franchise now faces an early roadblock after a 45-17 defeat in New England to the Patriots.

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Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) celebrates with wide receiver Cody White (82) after catching a thirteen-yard touchdown pass against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Run Game Woes Continue

Teams have been selling out to stop the Raiders' run attack, and that continued today. Las Vegas rushed for just 38 yards on 18 carries, an average of 2.1 yards per attempt. Ashton Jeanty was increasingly limited in practice this week leading up to the game, and he ended with 27 yards on 10 carries. Dylan Laube scored the Raiders' lone rushing touchdown of the afternoon, totaling four carries for nine yards and that score.

Mike Washington Jr. only had one carry for five yards in the outing.

Brock Bowers Leads Charge Again

Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers continues to cement himself as arguably the best tight end in the National Football League, as he is the driving force of this Las Vegas offense. The former Georgia Bulldog went for eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown to lead the team. The Raiders' next leading receiver was Jeanty, who finished with three receptions for 50 yards. Las Vegas' top wide receiver in Boston was Cody White, who notched two catches for 44 yards.

As the final score will show, the Raiders struggled to find any offensive consistency, never scoring more than seven points in any quarter and being completely shut out in the second frame. Kirk Cousins finished 19-of-28 passing for 243 yards and one touchdown.

Overall, the Raiders had their positives and negatives, but they have come back down to earth over the last two weeks after a scorching hot start to the season. Especially after a tight loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that the Raiders had a legitimate chance to win, this was a tough outing for the franchise as they suffered their second straight loss.

Fernando Mendoza Makes Debut

However, Raider Nation did get to see highly touted rookie Fernando Mendoza take the field for the first time in the regular season in his NFL career. The 2026 No. 1 overall NFL Draft choice entered with about six minutes to go in the fourth quarter, finishing 6-of-8 passing for 48 yards.

Mendoza is the hopeful future for Las Vegas, and fans got to see their cornerstone on the field for the first time in the regular season.

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Hugh Straine
HUGH STRAINE

Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.

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