The Patriots suffered a sloppy loss to the Raiders. Here's how it went down in Mike Vrabel's debut

The New England Patriots began their 2025 season with a frustrating 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. It was a soggy and sloppy day in Foxboro, and the New England offense found itself stuck in the mud for most of the afternoon.

Mike Vrabel's coaching career in New England got off to a bumpy start as the Raiders took a 7-0 lead with an opening-drive touchdown. But an interception by the Patriots defense turned the tide of the game in the first quarter, when the offense turned that turnover into a touchdown of its own. The Patriots took a 10-7 lead into halftime, but then the second half was one to forget in New England.

It was a Patriots turnover that flipped momentum back to the Raiders after halftime, as Drake Maye was picked off on New England's first possession. The second-year quarterback had his struggles in the first Week 1 start of his career, as he finished 30-of-46 for 287 yards, a touchdowns, and his costly interception. He played OK for the most part, but didn't do enough to get the Patriots a win in the end.

Geno Smith tore the New England defense apart at times, as he racked up 362 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Brock Bowers had 103 yard off his five receptions for Las Vegas, while former Patriot Jakobi Meyers had 97 yards on his eight receptions.

The Patriots offense did nothing out of halftime. After Maye's interception, the offense punted it away on four straight possessions, including back-to-back three-and-outs. 

Individually, Stefon Diggs came on late in his Patriots debut and finished with six receptions for 57 yards, while Kayshon Boutte led all receivers with 103 yards on his six receptions. Harold Landry was big defensively with 2.5 sacks and four QB hits for New England.

But the Patriots have a lot of work to do just about everywhere on the field, which was evident throughout the team's 20-13 loss on Sunday. Here's how it all played out for the Patriots in Week 1.

Raiders struck first and made it look easy

The Mike Vrabel-Terrell Williams defense got off to a rough start, when it allowed the Raiders to march 66 yards to the end zone on Las Vegas' six-play opening drive.

Smith hit Bowers for a 23-yard gain off a play-action pass on the first play from scrimmage, and the QB went 3-of-4 for 58 yards on the opening drive. The Raiders were facing a third-and-11 at the New England 26 after a false start, but Smith hit a wide open Tre Tucker, who blew by the Patriots' defense and hauled in a 26-yard touchdown.

The Patriots sent a lot of pressure Smith's way on that third-and-11, but it left Tucker wide open over the middle. He left safety Jaylinn Hawkins in his dust, who was the closest New England defender to Tucker on the play. It was just bad defense by the Patriots to open the game. 

Maye and the Patriots offense didn't do anything to answer Las Vegas' opening score, as they went three-and-out on their first possession. It was the first of four three-and-outs by the Patriots on Sunday.

Patriots force turnover, offense answers with TD

The Patriots defense was on the ropes on the Raiders' second drive, but Carlton Davis came up with a huge play to get the ball back to the offense.

Davis undercut a cross route by Bowers and got his hand on Smith's pass to the tight end, which deflected up and came down in the arms of Hawkins. Great recognition and play by Davis, and good hands by Hawkins.

The offense made the turnover count with an 82-yard scoring drive, capped off with a lovely three-yard touchdown pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas. Maye had his receiver 1-on-1 in the end zone and put the ball where only Douglas could make the catch, making it a 7-7 game late in the first quarter.

Maye was much better on drive No. 2, when he went 4-of-7 for 64 yards with some big completions to Hunter Henry (27 yards on a second-and-11) and Boutte (24 yards on a must-have third-and-10). He read the defense perfectly pre-snap ahead of his touchdown toss to Douglas, and knew exactly where he was going before he got the ball. Maye's TD toss also came one play after he missed Douglas in the back of the end zone.

Pats defense gets stop, Borregales misses first field goal attempt

The Patriots defense was amped up after the offense scored and forced a quick three-and-out, which was capped off by sack by Hawkins on a third-and-8 deep in Vegas territory.

The New England offense got into the red zone thanks to a lovely 19-yard hookup between Maye and Henry and a 14-yard connection between Maye and Boutte. But the Patriots were hit with a Delay of Game on a third-and-12 from the Las Vegas 17, and two plays later rookie kicker Andy Borregales missed his first NFL field goal attempt wide right from 40 yards out.

Patriots get three after key fourth-down DPI by Raiders

The Patriots got bailed out a bit on a defensive pass interference by the Raiders on a key fourth-and-1 late in the second quarter. Josh McDaniels called for a deep, play-action pass to Mack Hollins, which was broken up by Kyu Blu Kelly. But the corner didn't turn around to play the ball (at least in the eyes of officials) and was hit with a costly DPI that kept the drive alive for New England.

The 22-yard penalty gave the Patriots the ball at the Las Vegas 25 and a chance to find the end zone again. But New England had to settle for a 39-yard field goal from Borregales (and a 10-7 lead ahead of halftime) after Maye threw a bit behind Diggs on a third-and-9, which kept the receiver from picking up two more yards to move the chains.

Maye picked off to start second half, Raiders turn it into touchdown

The Patriots got the ball to start the second half, but didn't have it for long. Maye had a nice connection with Diggs for 10 yards on a second-and-3. But he was hit as he threw the receiver's way again a few plays later, and his high pass was picked off by Isaiah Pola-Mao. 

The pressure from Las Vegas came from the right side, as Maxx Crosby got by Mike Onwenu and Morgan Mose to get to Maye, forcing the QB's first turnover of the season.

The Raiders took full advantage as Smith hit Meyers for 23 yards and 19 yards on the first two plays, and the Raiders got another 15 yards on an unnecessary roughness penalty on Hawkins. Las Vegas took a 14-10 lead after rookie running back Ashton Jeanty bounced off the New England defense and ran it in from three yards out for his first career touchdown. 

Vrabel talked about being a better team out of halftime. The Patriots have some serious work to do in that department.

Raiders score again after Patriots 3-and-out

The Patriots offense had back-to-back three-and-outs after Maye was picked off to end their first possession of the second half. The Raiders turned the second of those two into three points, as Daniel Carlson connected on a 51-yard field goal to give Las Vegas a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter.

The field goal was made possible by a 38-yard catch-and-run by Bowers on the first play of the drive.

Maye catches pass from himself, but Patriots punt again

The Patriots actually picked up a first down on their next possession when Maye hit Diggs for nine yards on a third-and-5 to end the third quarter. But that was it for the offense, as the drive ended on a bizarre play where Maye caught a pass from himself.

With the Pats facing a third-and-7, Maye's pass was tipped at the line -- right back to the quarterback. He caught it and scrambled for two yards, which went into the books as a two-yard reception from Maye to Maye.

Odd? Certainly. Enough for the Patriots to move the chains? Not even close, and they punted away from the 50.

Fourth-down conversion by Raiders leads to two-score lead

The Patriots' defense set up a Raiders fourth-and-1 at the New England 38 after Marcus Jones made an incredible open-field tackle on Meyers to keep the receiver a yard short from getting the first down. But on fourth down, Smith made an incredible throw across his body to hit tight end Michael Mayer for eight yards and a fresh set of downs.

The Raiders ended up getting three more points off a 40-yard field goal by Carlson to take a 20-10 lead with 6:46 remaining in the game.

Patriots punt after false start by Will Campbell

Other than a 16-yard connection between Maye and Diggs on a second-and-10, New England's second-to-last possession was a mess. Maye nearly fumbled it away when he let the ball slip out of hands, and was lucky Campbell was there to recover the ball.

On third-and-18, Maye scrambled and dumped to Henderson for 13 yards, setting up a fourth-and-5 near midfield.

But that fourth-and-5 never happened, as Campbell as whistled for a bad false start to make it a fourth-and-10. Instead of going for it, the Patriots punted the ball away. Bryce Baringer's 21-yard punt set the Raiders up at their own 35 with just under five minutes to go, and the Patriots didn't get the ball back until there was 1:48 left.

The Patriots defense couldn't get off the field on Las Vegas' possession, as Smith hit Donte Thornton Jr. for 36 yards on a third-and-20 from the Raiders 25. Thornton blew right by Davis on his route and essentially sealed the win with his big gain. 

The Patriots got the ball back shortly after the two-minute warning and Maye had chunk completions to Boutte (19 yards), Henry (12 yards), rookie Kyle Williams (12 yards) and hit Hollins for a fourth-and-2 conversion, which led to a Borregales 44-yard field goal. 

With the score 20-13 with 19 seconds left, the Patriots went with an onside kick. But Jeanty wisely knocked the ball out of bounds and the Patriots never had a chance to recover. 

What's next for the Patriots?

Coming up in Week 2, the 0-1 Patriots will play their first road game of the 2025 season when they visit the Miami Dolphins. 

The Patriots haven't won in Miami since the 2019 season, when Tom Brady led the team to a 43-0 victory in Week 2. New England has lost its last five trips to Hard Rock Stadium by an average of 13.4 points.

The Dolphins are 0-1 as well after they were demolished, 33-8, by the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday.

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