Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Maye's five total TDs power Patriots past Raiders 45–17
Four passing touchdowns and one rushing score drove New England's win; Mendoza's late debut and two Patriots injuries require separate context.
Drake Maye threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as New England beat Las Vegas 45–17 in Foxborough on Sunday, October 11. His five scores were total touchdowns, not five passing touchdowns.
The Patriots moved to 3–2, matching the Raiders' record. Maye completed 26 of 34 throws for 374 yards, with no interception.
The lead grew around halftime
Las Vegas answered New England's opening touchdown with a 13-yard Kirk Cousins pass to Brock Bowers, tying the game 7–7. Rhamondre Stevenson then scored from five yards, and Hunter Henry's touchdown reception gave the Patriots a 21–7 halftime lead.
The missed opportunity between those scores mattered: after recovering Corey Kiner's fumble in Patriots territory, Las Vegas failed to turn the possession into points when Matt Gay's 49-yard field-goal attempt hit the upright. New England subsequently extended its lead rather than entering halftime tied.
After the break, Maye found Kyle Williams for a 34-yard touchdown and later scored on a three-yard run. DeMario Douglas caught two touchdown passes overall. The sequence separates Maye's passing production from the rushing score included in his five-touchdown total.
A late debut inside a difficult Raiders day
Bowers finished with eight catches for 110 yards, but the Raiders' offense did not keep pace. The team's own recap recorded eight penalties for 101 yards and 27 rushing yards for Ashton Jeanty. Limited rushing and repeated penalties compounded Las Vegas's difficult afternoon.
Fernando Mendoza entered for the final Las Vegas offensive possession and completed six of eight passes for 48 yards. The club framed the appearance as regular-season experience. That late appearance during a lopsided loss does not, by itself, confirm that Cousins has lost the starting job.
The injury questions remain open
TreVeyon Henderson left with an ankle injury and Will Campbell with a knee injury in the second quarter; neither returned. Reports established their absence from this game, not recovery dates or availability next week. New England's win should not obscure those unresolved personnel questions.
The reported next opponents are the Jets at home for New England and the Bills at home for Las Vegas. Today's result leaves both clubs with the same record despite opposite outcomes. Further injury updates are needed before Henderson's or Campbell's availability for the Jets matchup can be assessed.
