Live coverage: Raiders shock Patriots on final play of the game at Allegiant

By Case Keefer (contact), Danny Webster

Published Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Updated Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 | 4:41 p.m.

In a season mired with ways the Raiders have found to lose, finding a way to win this one just topped them all. 

After squandering a 17-3 halftime lead and needing a last-minute drive to tie the game, Raiders linebacker Chandler Jones intercepted a lateral attempt on the final play of the game and returned it for a touchdown to give the Raiders an improbable 30-24 win against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. 

The Raiders and Patriots seemed destined for overtime after quarterback Derek Carr orchestrated a nine-play, 81-yard drive in the final two minutes capped off by a 30-yard touchdown toss to Keelan Cole with 37 seconds left. 

It looked like the play would be overturned after replay showed Cole’s left toe touching the left end zone chalk, but the play was upheld. 

The Patriots took the clock down to 3 seconds and handed the ball off to Rhamondre Stevenson, who got about 20 yards down field before lateraling it to receiver Jakobi Meyers. Trying to extend the play, Meyers attempted to lateral it 15 yards back to quarterback Mac Jones, but Jones jumped in front of it and returned the lateral 48 yards for the game-winning score. 

The improbable win takes the Raiders to 6-8 and keeps their slim playoff hopes alive. 

Raiders tie it in final minute

The Raiders are 32 seconds away from their third overtime game in the last five weeks.

It’s 24-24 after Derek Carr found Keelan Cole for a 30-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone. The play was reviewed as it looked like Cole’s second foot may not have stayed in bounds but the call stood.

Las Vegas led 17-3 at halftime but had a frustrating second half where it couldn’t get anything going offensively until the final drive.

Rhamondre Stevenson pulls Patriots ahead

The Raiders’ fifth blown double-digit lead of the season is complete.

The Patriots just scored in less than a minute and a half, going 76 yards on three plays with less than five minutes to go in the game. New England leads Las Vegas 24-17.

Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 34-yard run, giving him 132 yards on 15 carries for the day. The play before Stevenson broke loose, New England quarterback Mac Jones found Jakobi Meyers for a 39-yard completion.

The Raiders have just less than four minutes remaining to recover.

Raiders clinging to small lead

The Patriots are one score away from handing the Raiders their fifth double-digit blown lead of the season.

They were backed up to their own 2-yard line on their latest drive, but went 69 yards on 12 plays to set up a 47-yard field goal by Nick Folk. It’s now Raiders 17, Patriots 13.

Both teams’ statistics are practically identical, as the Raiders haven’t been able to generate anything in the second half. Local product Rhamondre Stevenson, out of Centennial High, has been the star of the game recently and now has 95 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Patriots snag pick-six

The second half didn’t start well for the Raiders’ offense.

Patriots safety Kyle Dugger read a screen pass from Derek Carr to Davante Adams perfectly, pouncing on the route to nab an interception and 13-yard touchdown. Las Vegas’ lead over New England is down to 17-10.

The Raiders’ defense forced the Patriots to punt quickly, after only one first down, to open the half but that matters little now. Carr’s interception was the second play of the offensive drive.

Raiders add to lead before halftime

The Raiders didn’t call a timeout as the Patriots lined up for a punt inside the first half’s two-minute warning, looking content not to add any more points before halftime.

Then they scored a touchdown anyway. Malcolm Koonce blocked the punt to set Las Vegas up at the New England 20-yard line. The Patriots weren’t done assisting the Raiders, as they picked up back-to-back penalties to get the ball down to the 5-yard line.

That’s where Carr went low to connect with Mack Hollins for a touchdown pass. It’s 17-3 Raiders at halftime.

Darren Waller scores game’s first touchdown

It looked like another Raiders’ red zone drive was going to stall when right guard Hroniss Grassu picked up a holding penalty on 1^st-and-10 at the 15-yard line.

Darren Waller wasn’t going to let that happen. In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Waller got behind the defense and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr on second down.

Raiders 10, Patriots 3.

It’s been an up and down day for Carr through a quarter and a half but perhaps the scoring strike can get him on track. Carr has now completed seven of 14 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Patriots get field goal of their own

New England got down to the 1-yard line on its second drive but could only come away with a short field goal.

It’s 3-3 in the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mac Jones appeared to go over the top to sneak in a one-yard touchdown the play before Nick Folk’s 24-yard touchdown but the score was waved off for a false start.

The Patriots got down to the one-yard line via penalty on the Raiders, a pass interference on Amik Robertson in the end zone.

Raiders kick field goal to start game

The Raiders are on the board early against the Patriots at Allegiant Stadium.

Las Vegas scored on its opening drive when Daniel Carlson booted through a 49-yard field goal. The drive stalled once the Raiders got in New England territory, but running back Josh Jacobs delivered them there with five carries for 34 yards.

Inactives released

Two big-name starters are back for the Raiders against the Patriots today at Allegiant Stadium but three others have just been confirmed out.

Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (knee), guard Alex Bars (knee) and defensive tackle Andrew Billings (leg) were all on the just-released inactives list. Running back Josh Jacobs, linebacker Denzel Perryman and tackle Jermaine Eluemunor — all officially listed as questionable after Friday’s practice — will play.

The Raiders are expected to be most boosted by the return of slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller, both of which were activated off injured reserve yesterday. The Patriots have a Pro Bowl player of their own coming back from injury in defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

New England will be without cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jack Jones as well as running back Damien Harris and wide receiver DeVante Parker. In a slight surprise, Centennial High grad running back Rhamondre Stevenson will play off an ankle injury for New England as will wide receiver Jakobi Myers following a concussion.

The Raiders’ other inactives next to three starters are guard Netane Muti, tackle Jackson Barton, defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. and defensive end Tashawn Bower. Bar’s guard spot will be one to watch as it’s uncertain who will fill in with his absence.

The Raiders could push Eluemunor to guard and play rookie Thayer Munford at tackle, or start Hroniss Grasu, who was recently elevated from the practice squad.

PREGAME PREVIEW

New England makes it second trip to Las Vegas this year with hopes that the result on the field can be better this time around.

The Patriots camped out locally for the better part of a week in August for a pair of joint practices at the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters and an exhibition game at Allegiant Stadium.

Las Vegas looked like the far better team in those three straight days of competition, outplaying New England in practice and then winning the preseason finale 23-6, but it hasn’t turned out that way in the regular season. With four games left, the Patriots control their own postseason destiny.

The Raiders have nowhere close to that luxury, as they’ll need to win every remaining game on their schedule while receiving some outside help. That’s the same situation Las Vegas faced last year though, and it ultimately worked out as both the Raiders and Patriots earned wild-card berths before suffering first-round losses.

Favorable matchup: Davante Adams vs. Patriots’ secondary

The Raiders didn’t play their starters in the preseason game against the Patriots, but both teams were at full strength for the pair of practices, where Adams easily looked like the best player on the field. A series of long receptions in a scrimmage as well as contested catches in one-on-one drills caused major frustration among a Patriots’ defensive backfield that’s turned out to be one of the best in the league. The unit is unlikely to be fully healthy against the Raiders today, though. Starting cornerback Jalen Mills has been limited in practice after missing two straight games with a groin injury, while replacement Jack Jones, the team’s top-rated cornerback by Pro Football Focus, hasn’t practiced the past week due to a knee injury. Adams has lived up to the potential he flashed against the Patriots in training camp, sitting third in the NFL with 1,247 receiving yards and tied for first with 12 touchdown catches. He’s shown a habit of making even the best young cornerbacks look outclassed so Patriots such as likely All-Rookie Team cornerback Marcus Jones are in for a tough assignment.

Problematic matchup: Raiders’ offensive line vs. Patriots’ defensive line

Las Vegas may have a distinct availability advantage on the outside of the field, but the Patriots may have a larger edge in the same department on the line of scrimmage. Three of the Raiders’ five starting offensive linemen have missed practice this week — left guard Dylan Parham, right guard Alex Bars and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Bars is the only one unlikely to play, but the other two are questionable and could be gametime decisions. Facing Patriots edge rushers Matthew Judon and Deatrich Wise, a duo that’s combined for 21 sacks on the year, with players making their season debuts isn’t ideal but looks like where the Raiders could be headed. Las Vegas released both guard John Simpson, who relieved Bars after he was hurt in a loss to the Rams, and Lester Cotton earlier in the week. For interior depth and possible replacements for Bars and Parham, the Raiders are left with a pair of practice-squad players in Hroniss Grasu (who was elevated to the active roster this week) and Netane Muti (who was claimed from the Denver Broncos this week).

Gamebreaker: Tight end Darren Waller

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has shied away from confirming that Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow will play after a five-week stint on injured reserve, but barring any unforeseen setbacks, they should be back on the field today. Both Waller (hamstring) and Renfrow (oblique) have returned to practice and reported feeling back to normal. Renfrow is a difference-maker in his own right, but Waller seems like he could address what’s been one of the Raiders’ biggest issues. Las Vegas is 28th in the NFL in converting only 45.95% of red-zone trips into touchdowns. Red-zone offense has been a problem for years with the Raiders, and McDaniels sought to address it in the offseason by building packages around the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Waller. The results haven’t come, with Waller logging one touchdown in the four full games he’s played, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t happen down the stretch of the season. Waller creates a natural matchup problem for opposing teams, especially on a short field where opponents must also constantly account for Adams in the passing game.

Big Number: 239

That’s how many victories McDaniels banked during an 18-year span as an assistant with the Patriots. Six of those came against the Raiders, who haven’t defeated the Patriots since McDaniels’ second year with the team in 2002. As if the Raiders don’t have enough rivals, the Patriots have also been considered one ever since the infamous Tuck Rule game in 2001. That was the first postseason victory for McDaniels, at the time a 25-year-old personnel assistant with New England. McDaniels climbed the ranks from there to where he had become second in command to Patriots coach Bill Belichick for many years before leaving to take the Raiders job this offseason. He’s spoken of instilling his own culture in Las Vegas but many of his tendencies so far seem to fall in line with Belichick’s, as he preaches building a sustainable long-term franchise. McDaniels went 239-86 overall and won six Super Bowls as an assistant with the Patriots, so recreating even a fraction of that success with the Raiders would be a welcomed change for the franchise.

Best Bet (6-7): Hunter Henry over 29.5 receiving yards

The Patriots have struggled to throw the ball effectively for most of the season and therefore prefer to be a run-first team, but they might not have a choice against the Raiders. Las Vegas’ rush defense has been serviceable, much better than a pass defense that looks ripe for the taking on a weekly basis. The Raiders haven’t covered tight ends well all season, and the veteran Henry is more than capable as long as he gets the opportunities. He caught three passes for 70 yards in the Patriots’ last game, a 27-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. New England’s ground game took a big hit in that contest when top running back Rhamondre Stevenson (a local Centennial High product) went down with an ankle injury to join veteran Damien Harris on the injured list. The duo’s potential absences only further add to New England’s need to implement a game plan more slanted toward the pass.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or