Patriots vs. Raiders: Drake Maye Accounts for Five TDs as Short-Handed New England Rolls in Week 5

Drake Maye was asked about the pocket on his first touchdown pass, and he answered like a man who had just left a deli. "On the first touchdown to Pop, I'm back there, credit the offensive line, eating a ham sandwich, so I got all day back there," the Patriots quarterback said. Lunch was served all afternoon.

The New England Patriots crushed the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, and Maye accounted for five touchdowns, four through the air and one on his own legs. He did it without No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown, without Mack Hollins, and with starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III also out. The Patriots are 3-2 with two straight wins. The Raiders, 3-0 two weeks ago, are 3-2 with two straight losses.

Fast Break in Foxborough

The Raiders went three-and-out, and the Patriots' opening drive took 2:33. Romeo Doubs drew a 24-yard pass interference flag, caught a 16-yarder, and Maye hit a completely uncovered DeMario Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown. Kirk Cousins punched right back. Brock Bowers (24 yards) and Cody White (16) moved the chains, Kevin Byard got flagged for pass interference, and Bowers finished it with a 13-yard touchdown. Tie game, and for a minute it smelled like a shootout.

It wasn't. The Patriots went 84 yards in 11 plays on their next possession, converting two fourth downs (a 6-yard catch by Douglas on fourth-and-2, a 7-yard grab by Hunter Henry on fourth-and-3), and Rhamondre Stevenson finished it from 5 yards out. Corey Kiner's fumble at his own 37 handed Las Vegas a gift late in the half, and Matt Gay promptly doinked a 49-yarder off the left upright. Maye made them pay: 26 yards to Henry, then an 11-yard touchdown to Henry with 24 seconds left. It was 21-7 at the half.

The third quarter was a formality wearing a hoodie. New England opened it with a four-play drive that ended in a 34-yard touchdown to Kyle Williams on second-and-19. After a Gay field goal, Maye dropped a 31-yard dime to tight end Eli Raridon and finished the drive himself with a 3-yard run, making it 35-10. Kindle Vildor forced a Bowers fumble that Craig Woodson recovered, Williams hauled in a 49-yarder, and Andy Borregales added a 28-yard field goal. Dylan Laube's 2-yard run got Las Vegas a fourth-quarter touchdown, Henry smothered the onside kick, and Douglas caught his second score, an 8-yarder, to make it 45-17.

Maye Day, Again

Maye's final line: 26 of 34 for 374 yards, four touchdown passes, no turnovers and a 150.9 passer rating, plus the rushing score. According to the AP, it was the second 300-yard game of his career and made him the first Patriots quarterback with back-to-back games of at least three touchdown passes since Tom Brady in 2018. It was also his first turnover-free game of the season, and Patriots.com noted the 45 points were the most New England has scored with Maye as its starter.

The supporting cast looked like a casting call that turned into an ensemble. Williams, a second-year receiver, posted a career-high 91 yards on three catches, per the team's site. "It's more of a reminder for myself to know that I'm still here and I am who I say I am," he said. Douglas had four catches for 65 yards and two scores. Efton Chism III and Raridon each caught five passes for 57 yards, and Chism added a hook-and-ladder pitch to TreVeyon Henderson that turned a third-and-11 into a first down. Stevenson ran for 64 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Elijah Ponder had two sacks and three quarterback hits as New England dropped Cousins three times. Bowers was the lone Raider who looked comfortable, with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Ashton Jeanty managed 27 yards on 10 carries, and Las Vegas finished with 38 rushing yards as a team.

Doink, Then Dagger

At 14-7 with under five minutes left before halftime, the Raiders had the ball at the New England 38 after Kiner's fumble. Points there turn the second half into a ballgame. Instead, Tre Tucker lost 11 yards on a run, Gay's kick hit the upright, and the Patriots scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives around the break that took a combined 3:30 of game clock. Instead of a possible 14-10 game, it was 28-7, and the Raiders never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way.

The Damage Report

• 536: Total yards, a season high for New England.
• 4 of 5: Patriots trips inside the 20 that ended in touchdowns.
• 2 for 2: New England on fourth down. Las Vegas went 0 for 2.
• 38: Raiders rushing yards on 18 carries.
• 12 for 116: Patriots penalties and penalty yards. They still won by 28.

The Throwback Machine

Patriots.com noted the team celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Super Bowl XXXVI championship team on Sunday, which fits, because this looked like a dynasty-era trick: plug in backups, win by four touchdowns anyway. The bill could come due. Per the AP, Henderson left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, left tackle Will Campbell was helped off with a right knee injury two plays later, and cornerback Charles Woods exited in the third with a shoulder injury. Rookie Caleb Lomu filled in at left tackle. The Jets visit Foxborough next.

After a 1-2 start that included a 35-6 faceplant in Jacksonville, New England has won at Buffalo and now flattened a team that walked in 3-1. That is how a season gets its pulse back.

Las Vegas had scored at least 26 points in each of its first four games and managed 17 here, with 10 of them coming while trailing by 21 or more. "We're not happy with what happened today, and we've got to go do something about it," coach Klint Kubiak said. No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza got late snaps, but Kubiak said that doesn't change the depth chart for now. "Just wanted to get (Mendoza) some exposure," he said. The Bills come to Las Vegas next.

Seconds, Please

Coach Mike Vrabel's explanation for the next-man-up magic was simple. "That's what it has to be," he said. "They realize when you get an opportunity, you do something with it." Maye, meanwhile, refused to call it a finished product. "There's still some out there," he said. When your quarterback is eating a ham sandwich in the pocket and still thinks there's food left on the table, the rest of the conference should be worried.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes as reported by the Associated Press and Patriots.com.