The Patriots had a poor second half and were outcoached, outpenalized, and outplayed in a rainy Gillette Stadium for the 2025 season opener, 20-13, in a disappointing debut for the new Mike Vrabel regime. The most galling thing for Vrabel is that he has been preaching for weeks that Week 1 will come down to the second half, and it did, but it was the Patriots who fell flat in the final 30 minutes.The Patriots led at the half and seemed in very good position to win the game, but came out in the second half with very little energy and were outplayed and outcoached. If the Patriots tried to make adjustments it wasn’t immediately evident. Geno Smith Has A Fantastic Game:Geno Smith had a fantastic game, slicing and dicing the Patriots’ secondary to the tune of 24-34 for 362 yards with one TD and one INT for a passer rating of 102.8. Every time they needed a big-time play, Smith delivered. Brock Bowers torched the Patriots with five catches for 103 yards.It was pretty surprising that the Patriots only attempted to run the ball 18 times (for 60 yards), and in a one-score game for the vast majority of the contest, it begged the question of why not more. Rhamondre Stevenson was basically a non-factor, with seven rushes for 15 yards and two catches for 12 yards. Stevenson was in for 41 snaps, while TreVeyon Henderson was in for 24 and Antonio Gibson for just four.There is a lot to clean up after this one, especially with a trip to Miami upcoming next week. Drake Maye’s Disappointing Afternoon:Drake Maye finished the game 30-46 for 287 yards with one TD and one INT, for a passer rating of 80.6. He had some good mixed in with some bad, but overall it was a disappointing game for the second-year starter. The touchdown was a nice play by Maye, recognizing the all-out blitz coming and working with Douglas in the corner of the end zone. but too many throws sailed on him.There were some plays, however, where Maye was flushed out of the pocket where no one seemed to be open. That will require going back and looking at the All-22 game film. Mike Vrabel said after the game that they have to do a better job of supporting him. Another disappointing factor was the Raiders’ secondary, considered one of the worst in the league, which often prevented the Patriots from getting separation. Demario Douglas had a disappointing game, with two catches for -2 yards on seven targets, but did have the Patriots’ touchdown, on a nice move to the outside. With a rookie wide receiver, Kyle Williams, on the bench who excels at gaining separation off the line, wouldn’t it have made sense to utilize him more, instead of keeping two tight end sets? Again, maybe the tape will tell the tale.Still Too Much Bad Football:On the Patriots’ first drive of the second half, Drake Maye threw an interception, after completing four straight passes for 33 yards on the drive, Maxx Crosby came on a stunt, and stopped Maye from stepping into his throw. The pass went high over Stefon Diggs’ head and was intercepted. The Raiders drove down the field and Ashton Jeanty scored from three yards out to give the Raiders a 14-10 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Jeanty wasn’t much of a factor, however; he rushed 19 times for 38 yards and added two catches for two yards. The Patriots’ run defense, which many feared would be an issue against the Raiders, was solid. Vegas rushed 24 times for just 56 yards. But the decision to punt down two scores with five minutes to go in the game, while a curious one, at least had some merit to it. But it was undone by bad football. Instead of pinning Vegas deep, Bryce Barringer’s punt went 21 yards and gave the Raiders the ball at their 35-yard line. Barringer had three poor punts today.Vrabel’s decision still could have worked out. Getting the Raiders behind the sticks with a 3rd and 20, they then gave up a 36-yard pass. So many chunk plays were allowed in the secondary. Those can’t happen.Boutte, Landry Bright Spots In The Game:Kayshon Boutte, who came on at the end of last season, had himself a very good Week 1, catching six passes for 103 yards on the day. That was a very encouraging sign moving forward. Harold Landry was a very bright spot for the defense, with five tackles, 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss (TFL), and 4 QB hits. This was precisely the kind of production the team was looking for when they signed him this spring. Stefon Diggs, in his first game action since tearing his ACL last October, started to find his comfort level a bit in the second half, catching six passes for 57 yards. Milton Williams did a good job of creating some pressure up the middle as well as in the running game. There is a lot to clean up this week, and given that the Patriots have traditionally saved some of their worst football for playing in Southwest Florida, they know what they have to do. No one should overreact to a loss in Week 1; remember what happened last year in Week 1, with the Patriots beating the Bengals on the road? So, they will put the work in and prepare for the Dolphins. It looks like with the exception of Buffalo, the rest of the AFC East will be 0-1.Look for our Positional Grades tomorrow.Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]Listen to our PatsFans.com Patriots No Huddle podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Derek Havens, Mike D’Abate, and I discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
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About Steve BalestrieriA former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)View all posts by Steve Balestrieri
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Ashton Jeanty
Brock Bowers
Drake Maye
Geno Smith
Harold Landry
Kayshon Boutte
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Maxx Crosby
Mike Vrabel
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Patriots edge rushers
Pete Carroll
Rhamondre Stevenson
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