3 takeaways from Raiders’ win: Smith shows his value against Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Raiders sent the Seahawks a third-round pick in March for quarterback Geno Smith.

It didn’t take long for Smith to make good on the investment.

The 34-year-old veteran completed 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, in his Raiders’ debut to lead the team to a 20-13 victory in its season opener against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, added 38 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 103 yards before suffering a knee injury in the second half, though he hopes to play in Week 2 against the Chargers.

The Raiders (1-0) trailed 10-7 at halftime in their first game under Pete Carroll, who became the oldest coach in NFL history at age 73. But the defense stepped up in the second half. The Patriots’ lone points after halftime came on a field goal with 19 seconds remaining.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Smith shines

Smith is a problem when he has time.

He was not perfect Sunday — he forced the ball to Bowers on his first-quarter interception — but he was effective whenever his offensive line gave him protection. He kept the Raiders offense moving even though the team finished with 56 rushing yards on 24 carries.

Bowers was Smith’s main target, but Smith also spread the ball around. Seven players caught passes for the Raiders. Some other standouts included wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (eight catches for 97 yards) and tight end Michael Mayer (four catches for 38 yards).

“Geno had a regular game for him. I don’t think it was a big statement game or anything like that,” Carroll said. “I think it was what he does.”

Smith started and ended the day with great throws. He hit wide receiver Tre Tucker for a 26-yard touchdown on the Raiders’ opening possession, then capped his day with a massive throw to rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr.

Smith’s 36-yard completion to Thornton, which came with the team facing a third-and-20 from its own 23-yard line with less than four minutes to play, all but sealed the win.

“In those situations, game on the line, I love the ball in my hands,” Smith said. “That’s what I live for. That’s what I play this game for.”

2. Mixed bag for O-line

The Raiders’ offensive line played well the first two drives. Smith’s touchdown throw to Tucker was only possible because the group picked up the Patriots’ all-out blitz.

Things stalled after Smith was intercepted on the team’s second possession. The Raiders’ next three drives were three-and-outs, with New England picking up a pair of sacks. Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson had a rough afternoon in particular.

Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller said part of the issue was the Patriots dialed up more blitzes than the team was anticipating. It took some time to sort things out with Jordan Meredith making his first start at center and Powers-Johnson seeing his first extensive action at right guard.

Things improved in the second half. The Raiders had a five-play, 71-yard touchdown drive in their first possession after halftime, with Jeanty scoring from 3 yards out to put the team up 14-10.

New England (0-1) still finished with four sacks and 10 tackles for loss on the day.

“Lots to build on from this week. I feel like we left a lot out there,” Miller said. “So, we’re gonna make those adjustments these next couple of weeks and keep growing.”

3. Defense hangs in

The Raiders gave up 199 yards in the first half and struggled to get consistent pressure on second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

That changed in the second half. New England at one point failed to score on six straight possessions, which opened the door for the Raiders to take a 20-10 lead with 6:46 remaining.

The team’s defensive line and secondary worked in concert to keep the Patriots from scoring. Defensive linemen Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson and Jonah Laulu each finished with a sack, while safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had an interception.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.