Drake Maye throws four touchdowns as Patriots crush Raiders 45-17
Key takeaways
- Drake Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns, plus one rushing score.
- The Patriots piled up 536 total yards, their most in a single game since 2021.
- New England is now 3-2 after starting the season 1-2.
Drake Maye was unstoppable on Sunday. The Patriots beat the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 at Gillette Stadium. It was New England's second straight win.
What happened
Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards. He threw four touchdown passes and ran for another. He did not turn the ball over once.
His passer rating was 150.9. That was his best mark of the season. He spread the ball around all game. Six different Patriots caught at least three passes.
Kyle Williams was the big-play threat. He caught a 34-yard touchdown and a 49-yard deep ball. DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry also caught touchdown passes.
The Patriots scored on five of their first eight drives. By the third quarter, the game was over. Former Patriots star Julian Edelman posted on X: "Can't believe how back we are.
".
The defense played great too. Las Vegas managed only 38 rushing yards. Elijah Ponder sacked Kirk Cousins twice.
The Raiders finished the game at 3-2..
New England gained 536 total yards. That is their highest total since 2021, according to Pro Football Network. Their 45 points were the most since January 2022.
Why it matters
Three weeks ago, Maye looked lost. He had one touchdown pass and six interceptions through three games. Fans were worried.
Now everything has changed. Maye has thrown seven touchdown passes in the last two weeks. He is the first Patriot with back-to-back three-touchdown games since Tom Brady in 2018.
He did it short-handed too. Receivers A. J.
Brown and Mack Hollins were both out injured. Maye trusted his backup targets instead. That maturity impressed coaches.
Week 5 belonged to quarterbacks. Across the league, Mike Evans and the 49ers also stayed perfect with a win in Seattle.
What happens next
The Patriots host the New York Jets next week. A third straight win would push them to 4-2. The AFC East race would get very interesting.
Maye's next test is consistency. Two great games do not erase a bad start. But the trend is clearly pointing up.
For Las Vegas, it is a wake-up call. They have now lost two straight. Their defense must fix its problems fast.
If next week's Jets game goes down to the wire, our NFL overtime rules explainer covers what happens next.
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