Raiders rewind: What plays made the difference against Patriots?

They worked out some kinks, overcame adversity and improved after halftime to win 20-13 on the road in coach Pete Carroll’s debut.

And they did that despite traveling three time zones east to play in sloppy weather outdoors. It was the kind of win Carroll had to love as he gets his tenure started.

Here’s a closer look at the victory:

Putting it into perspective

Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith had plenty of success together in Seattle. They picked up their partnership right where it left off Sunday.

Smith pushed the ball downfield even without much help from his running game. And the Raiders defense, despite entering the season with question marks, shut down the Patriots for long stretches.

There are still plenty of issues for the team to iron out. But it was a promising start to a new era.

Star of the game

Smith would be an easy answer after throwing for 362 yards in his Raiders debut. Only Bills quarterback Josh Allen (394) had more passing yards in Week 1.

The Raiders linebackers — Devin White, Germaine Pratt and Jamal Adams — will get the nod instead, however.

White played every snap, finished with a team-high 11 tackles and took over as the team’s defensive signal caller after linebacker Elandon Roberts left with an elbow injury.

Pratt had eight tackles and was terrific against the run. Adams, a former Pro Bowl safety, made the most of his 25 snaps and was effective as a pass rusher. He also lined up in the slot several times and held his own in coverage.

Play of the game

This is clearly Smith’s 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tre Tucker, which capped off the Raiders’ first drive.

Tucker said the team got a look it recognized from practice and knew the play was going to work when it lined up for a third-and-11. The 2023 third-round pick out of Cincinnati saw a flat-footed safety, so he believed he’d get open behind the defense if Smith got enough time to throw.

The Patriots put eight men in the box at the line of scrimmage, but dropped three of them after the snap. That meant there were five rushers coming at Smith from different angles. The Raiders offensive line sorted things out expertly, and got some key blocks from tight end Michael Mayer and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.

That left Smith with a pristine pocket, and he fired a strike for the Raiders’ first touchdown of the season.

Drive of the game

The Raiders, up 17-10, got the ball at their own 12-yard line with 13:33 left in the fourth quarter. They proceeded to march 66 yards on 12 plays and kicked a field goal to take a 20-10 lead with 6:46 remaining.

That’s winning football.

Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, ran for four yards to convert a third-and-1 early in the drive. Tucker later had a 28-yard catch to move the Raiders into Patriots’ territory.

The team later faced a fourth-and-1 from the New England 38-yard line. Carroll turned down a long field-goal attempt, which led to one of Smith’s best plays of the day.

He rolled left but saw Jeanty was covered on that side. Smith instead threw across his body to Mayer, who made a great catch to keep the drive alive.

The Raiders sent out kicker Daniel Carlson four plays later for a 40-yard field goal that put the team up by two scores.

What were they thinking?

Mike Vrabel was making his debut as the Patriots coach, but he’s certainly no rookie. He led the Titans for six seasons and was named the NFL’s coach of the year in 2021.

That makes his decision to punt on a fourth-and-10 from New England’s 44-yard line with 4:53 remaining all the more baffling. Vrabel, with his team down 20-10, sent his offense on the field at first, but decided to punt after a false start penalty.

It’s safe to say it didn’t pay off. The Patriots’ punt traveled just 21 yards. The Raiders proceeded to kill plenty of clock. They didn’t give the ball back until there was 1:48 left and New England was down to one timeout.

Vrabel’s decision to punt instead of going for it on fourth down pretty much dashed any hopes his team had of a comeback.

Observations

— First-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly brought some new wrinkles to the Raiders offense. One thing he did successfully on Sunday was call for play-action passes on first down. That should become an even more effective tool for the team once it proves it can run the ball.

— The Raiders appear to have found something in defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV, who they acquired from the Eagles in training camp in exchange for cornerback Jakorian Bennett. Booker was in the starting lineup Sunday and consistently blew up blocks on the interior. His tape was impressive.

— The right side of the Raiders offensive line struggled in the opener. Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and right tackle DJ Glaze, who were selected in the second and third rounds of the 2024 draft, respectively, were beaten far too often against the Patriots.

Looking ahead

Carroll, Smith and Jeanty will make their home debuts for the Raiders (1-0) against an AFC West rival when the team hosts the Chargers (1-0) on Monday Night Football.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.