The New England Patriots didn’t just beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. They flattened them, rolling to a 45-17 win while operating without Christian Gonzalez, A.J. Brown, Christian Barmore, Mike Onwenu, Carlton Davis, or Mack Hollins.
That kind of injury list usually leaves a team scrambling. Instead, the Patriots looked like an offense that had barely started to tap its ceiling. Drake Maye turned in a monster performance - 374 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 25 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown - and did it while missing two receivers and playing behind an offensive line that kept shifting because of injuries.
The next step could be even more alarming for the rest of the league once A.J. Brown is back in the mix.
Maye already looked like a quarterback playing at an MVP level against Las Vegas, and Brown gives him exactly the kind of weapon that can tilt a defense every time the ball is snapped. He wins one-on-one matchups, creates yards after the catch, and becomes a real problem in the red zone.
For a quarterback already slicing up coverages, that’s a dangerous addition. Josh McDaniels now has the chance to build around that pairing, and there’s real reason to think Brown can push this offense into another gear.
There was also a major development on the line when Will Campbell went down Sunday with a knee sprain. Rookie Caleb Lomu stepped in at left tackle and didn’t look overwhelmed at all.
He held up in pass protection, moved well, and showed the kind of athleticism that made his debut stand out. For a first-year tackle thrown into that spot midgame, Lomu looked like he belonged.
That matters because the Patriots appear to have found another building block up front with the 28th overall pick. If Campbell is healthy again and returns to left tackle, Lomu could slide to right tackle and give Maye a long-term set of bookend protectors.
Finding one good tackle is hard. Finding two in back-to-back drafts is the sort of thing that changes the look of an offense.
And Sunday wasn’t just about the future. The present looked pretty good too.
Pop Douglas and Kyle Williams brought plenty of juice. Eli Raridon and Hunter Henry came through with big catches.
Maye had time to work, and he used it to carve up the Raiders.
Once Brown is added to that group, the Patriots could be looking at one of the most complete offenses in the league. And if Romeo Doubs gets going as well, McDaniels may be ready to open things all the way up and let his young quarterback keep firing.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have An O-Line Decision They Didn't Expect
The Patriots thought they were adding depth when they took Caleb Lomu out of Utah in the 2026 NFL Draft, a left tackle prospect who could handle swing duties and maybe eventually step in for Morgan Moses. Instead, the rookie has been pressed into a bigger role sooner than expected, with Will Campbell out and the line already feeling the impact of another key absence. Campbell had been playing well before getting hurt, which is what made the early look at Lomu so interesting in the first place.
Lomu made the most of his opportunity against the Raiders, enough to turn a temporary fill-in job into a real question for New England. Once Campbell is healthy enough to return, the Patriots may have a decision they did not exactly plan for at left tackle, because the rookies play has at least made the coaching staff think twice about handing the spot right back. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Hall Of Fame Tension Just Got More Frustrating
The Hall of Fame conversation around Bill Belichick has taken another turn, and it is not a particularly satisfying one for Patriots fans still waiting for clarity. Tony Dungy, a former Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, has said he believes Belichick belongs in Canton, but he has stopped short of saying how he handled the vote itself, leaving the process wrapped in the kind of mystery that tends to frustrate people already invested in the outcome.
Dungy pointed to the voting process and cited past examples of greats who did not get in right away, which only adds to the sense that this is bigger than one name on one ballot. For New England followers, Belichick's place among football's all-time coaching legends is not really in doubt, but the silence around an actual vote has kept the story alive and given fans another reason to wonder what is still being left unsaid. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Mourn A Franchise Great Who Helped Shape Their Early Years
The Patriots are mourning one of the franchises early pillars after former offensive lineman Jon Morris died at 84, the team announced. Morris spent 11 seasons in New England and became a familiar figure in the organization long before the franchise reached its modern heights, earning six AFL All-Star nods and later remaining connected to the club as a radio broadcaster.
His legacy was already secure in New England by the time he entered the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011, a fitting recognition for a player who helped shape the teams formative years. Morris also carried a place in league history as the first Patriots player selected to the Pro Bowl after the AFL-NFL merger, another reminder of how long his impact lingered beyond his playing days. [Read more 🡒]