Las Vegas Raiders vs New England Patriots - NFL Week 5 - 2026 | Maye Runs Wild as Patriots Bury Raiders in Foxborough

Game Summary: Las Vegas Raiders vs New England Patriots

Bowers Ignites the Offense, but Vegas Couldn’t Keep it Rolling

The Raiders opened with a three-and-out, allowing New England to strike first on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas. Las Vegas responded with its best offensive drive of the afternoon, as quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with Brock Bowers on a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

Bowers proved to be one of the few consistent bright spots for the Raiders, finishing with eight receptions for 110 yards and the touchdown. His ability to create separation and move the chains gave the offense a jump start, but the early promise did not translate into a game-long production.

New England regained control with a five-yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson, then extended its lead just before halftime when Maye found tight end Hunter Henry for an 11-yard score. A missed 49-yard field goal by Matt Gay cost Las Vegas a chance to add points before the break, leaving the Raiders trailing 21-7.

Maye and the Patriots Turn a Competitive Game Into a Blowout

The second half quickly became a showcase for New England’s offense. Maye connected with Kyle Williams for a 34-yard touchdown, then added a three-yard rushing touchdown later in the third quarter. The Patriots kept finding openings in the Raiders’ defense, converting drives into points while keeping the pressure on the visitors.

Las Vegas scored a 46-yard field goal from Gay, but it did little to slow down the Patriots’ momentum. New England added another field goal before Maye threw his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon to Douglas, completing a five-touchdown performance that included four passing and one rushing score.

The Patriots finished with 536 yards of offense compared with 306 for Las Vegas. The Raiders also let up three sacks and committed eight penalties for 101 yards, hindering their ability to keep the game competitive.

For a defense that had been generating takeaways early in the season, the performance was a clear setback. New England found room through the air and on the ground, forcing Las Vegas to chase the game for much of the afternoon.

Late Touchdown and Mendoza’s Debut Offer Small Silver Linings

With the game being out of reach, running back Dylan Laube provided a late highlight by scoring his first NFL touchdown on a two-yard run. The score trimmed the deficit, but New England answered with yet another touchdown to close out the 45-17 loss for the Raiders.

The final offensive possession also brought a special moment for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Making his debut, Mendoza completed six of eight passes for 48 yards and showed off his mobility by extending plays. Though his appearance came too late to change the outcome, it gave the Raiders an initial look at their highly anticipated young quarterback in a regular-season game.

Head coach Klint Kubiak did not shy away from the team’s shortcomings after the game. “Defensively, offensively, special teams, I don’t think any of us played well enough to win today,” Kubiak said, crediting the Patriots for their performance.

Raiders Must Reset Before a Challenging Home Stretch

This defeat drops Las Vegas to 3-2 on the season and provides a clear reminder that the team cannot rely on small offensive flashes to overcome defensive struggles and costly mistakes. Bowers’ production and Laube’s first touchdown were positives, but the larger performance fell short of the standard needed to compete against elite opponents.

The Raiders now return home for two consecutive games, beginning with the Buffalo Bills, followed by the Los Angeles Rams. Both matchups will test whether the team can correct its tackling, improve its discipline and rediscover the defensive identity that helped fuel its early-season success.

Sunday’s loss was decisive, but the season remains young and the response will matter more than the result itself. Las Vegas must turn the disappointment into adjustments quickly or risk allowing one difficult afternoon to become the standard for the rest of the season.

Post-Game

Kubiak pointed to one sequence where an aggressive call backfired and swung the afternoon toward New England. “That was. That was a huge moment. Trying to make an aggressive play, their defensive end made a great play and sniffed it out, took a big negative loss there. That was a big play in the game.” Kubiak said.

For Laube, the blowout still delivered a milestone he will carry for a long time after his first NFL touchdown. “Ultimately when I look back at my career, I think this will be an emotional one.” Laube said. (Quotes via Patriots.com and Raiders.com.)

Catch up on every storyline at our Las Vegas Raiders team hub, revisit how the Raiders pushed the Chiefs to the wire, and meet a rising defender in our Remember the Name feature on Hezekiah Masses.

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TEAM STATS

Attendance: 64,628 at Gillette Stadium

Next up: The Raiders host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff is 1:25 p.m. PT on CBS.

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– Jordan Vega – Franchise Sports Media

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Photography by Jordon Kelly (@_jordonkelly) for Franchise Sports Media

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