Pats' PostGame Notebook: Raiding the Raiders

Ryan L. Fox

​​Up until Week 16 of last year, many people thought that the Oakland Raiders would provide the only challenge to the New England Patriots if the two teams met in the postseason. However Raiders QB Derek Carr broke his leg in a Week 16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and that essentially torpedoed the Raiders’ season.
 
Now in the present, the two teams met down in Mexico City for a Week 11 showdown. However those who were expecting a tight, close game were in for a rude awakening as the Patriots showed that they could play anybody anywhere and still give them a solid beatdown.

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Game Recap
After forcing the Raiders to punt on their first possession, the Patriots took the ball from their own 13-yard line. QB Tom Brady then drove the team down the field where on 2nd and 6 from the Raiders 13, he hooked up with RB Dion Lewis with a touchdown pass to. Interestingly enough, the opening Pats’ drive saw Brady ended up going 9-for-9 for 61 yards as well as a near scare as RB Rex Burkhead fumbled at the Raiders 24 but it was recovered by the Pats.
 
The Pats then got the ball back with 1:47 left in the first quarter as S Duron Harmon picked Carr off to kill a Raiders drive. However the Raiders staved off the Pats, forcing them to punt.
 
After forcing the Raiders to punt, the Pats got the ball back on their 20-yard line. They opened that drive up with a 52-yard connection from Brady to WR Brandin Cooks down to the Raiders 18. Eight plays later, Brady found WR Danny Amendola in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass to push the Pats’ lead to 14-0 with 5:23 left in the second quarter.
 
The Raiders then methodically drove down the field, led by the bruising running style of RB Marshawn Lynch. However on 1st and 10 from the Pats 15, Carr hooked with WR Seth Roberts for a 12-yard pass to the Pats 3. However as Roberts was being brought to the ground, Pats LB Marquis Flowers punched the ball out and S Patrick Chung recovered the ball with 33 seconds left. However that was plenty of time for Brady as he drove the team down to their 45-yard line. There, K Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 62-yard field goal as time expired to give his team a 17-0 halftime lead. The 62-yard field goal Gostkowski kicked surpassed his career long of 58 yards that he kicked against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.
 
The Pats didn’t wait too long to strike in the second half. It only took 3 plays as Brady found Cooks on a 64-yard touchdown. Gostkowski added the extra point to give the Pats a 24-0 lead. Gostkowski then tacked on a 51-yard field goal later on to extend the lead to 27-0. After stopping the Raiders on downs and getting the ball back, the Pats drove down the field and had to settle for another Gostkowski field goal, this time from 40 yards out, to go up 30-0 with a little over 2 minutes left in the third quarter.
 
The Raiders were able to get on the board on a 9-yard touchdown from Carr to WR Amari Cooper with 11:43 left in the game. On the ensuing 2-point conversion, Carr hooked with WR Michael Crabtree as the Raiders cut into the deficit 30-8. The Pats responded back with Gostkowski’s 4th field goal of the game, 29-yards out, to push their lead to 33-8.
 
Oakland had one more gasp as they drove all the way down to the Pats 21. However on 4th and 3, Carr’s pass to Roberts fell incomplete and the Pats took over. However Brady was pulled from the game as it was the Brian Hoyer show. Hoyer ran the clock down to 26 seconds as the Pats punted the ball away. The Raiders got the ball back with 16 seconds and decided to just run the ball to end the game.
 
Top Patriot Performers
QB Tom Brady: 30-for-37 for 339 yards, 3 TD
 
RB Dion Lewis: 10 carries for 60, 4 catches for 82 yards, 1 TD
 
WR Brandin Cooks: 6 catches for 149 yards, 1 TD
 
WR Danny Amendola: 8 catches for 66 yards, 1 TD
 
K Stephen Gostkowski: 4-for-4 on FG, 3-for-3 on XP for a total of 15 points
 
S Patrick Chung: 9 tackles (8 solo, 1 assist), 1 fumble recovery
 
LB Kyle Van Noy: 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist), 1.0 sacks
 
Silver, Black, and Blue
Interestingly enough, this was the 7th time during the Brady-Belichick era that the Raiders and Pats faced off against each other. During that span, the Pats have gone 6-1 against the Silver and Black and have outscored them 195 to 122. This also includes the infamous ‘Tuck Rule’ Divisional Game in the snow back on January 19, 2002, in Foxborough that helped propel the Patriots dynasty in the AFC. The last time the Raiders won was a 27-20 contest on November 17, 2002, in Oakland. But since then, the Raiders have lost 5 straight against the Pats and did not break the 20-point mark in the last three. You can beat that the Raiders won’t be  
 
The Best in 3 Countries
This was an interesting tidbit about Tom Brady. After beating the Raiders in Mexico, Brady has become the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns in three different countries. In Mexico, he threw 339 yards and 3 TDs in the Pats’ 33-8 victory over then Raiders. He also threw 304 yards and 4 TDs in a 45-7 blowout against the then St. Louis Rams back in Wembley Stadium in London, England back on October 28, 2002. Then there’s the countless amounts of games here in the States where Brady threw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs. Though one might just roll their eyes, it’s still an interesting accomplishment to have as well as makes for some fun trivia in the future.
 
Fox Fist Bump
It’s been a while but Tom Brady gets this week’s Fox Fist Bump. He was near perfect in the game (30-for-37) and he just took command of the offense. His touchdown pass to Amendola, he checked out of it and barked orders directly at Amendola prior to the touchdown. He helped get the team in position at the end of the half for Gostkowski’s 62-yard field goal when other teams would have taken a knee. Then not even one minute passed in the half, Brady threw a bomb to Brandin Cooks that ended up going 64-yards for a touchdown. It wouldn’t surprise me if TB 12 jerseys became a hot commodity down in Mexico City after today’s game.
 
Turd in the Punch Bowl
None this time around. Can’t complain if your team wins 33-8.
 
Play of the Game
Because it’s Thanksgiving Week, you’re gonna get a double helping of Play of the Game:
 
62 Scadoo
 
Cooking With Brady

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