3 takeaways from Raiders' win: Geno Smith shines in debut against Patriots

Vincent Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sep 7, 2025

Published in Football

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Las Vegas Raiders sent the Seattle Seahawks a third-round pick in March for quarterback Geno Smith.

It didn’t take long for Smith to make good on the investment.

The 34-year-old veteran completed 24 of his 34 passes for 362 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his Raiders debut to lead the team to a 20-13 victory in its season opener against the New Engalnd Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, added 38 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 103 yards before suffering a knee injury in the second half.

The Raiders (1-0) trailed 10-7 at halftime in their first game under Pete Carroll, who became the oldest coach in NFL history at age 73. But the defense stepped up in the second half. The Patriots’ lone points after halftime came on a field goal with 19 seconds remaining.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Smith shines

Smith is a problem when he has time.

He was not perfect Sunday — he forced the ball to Bowers on his first-quarter interception — but he was effective whenever his offensive line gave him protection. He kept the Raiders offense moving even though the team finished with 56 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Bowers was Smith’s main target, but he also spread the ball around. Seven different players caught passes for the Raiders. Some other standouts included wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (eight catches for 97 yards) and tight end Michael Mayer (four catches for 38 yards).

Smith also started and ended the day with great throws. He hit wide receiver Tre Tucker for a 26-yard touchdown on the Raiders’ opening possession, then capped his day with a 37-yard completion to rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr.

Mixed bag for o-line

The Raiders’ offensive line played well the first two drives. Smith’s touchdown throw to Tucker was only possible because the group picked up the Patriots’ all-out blitz.

Things stalled out after Smith was intercepted on the team’s second possession. The Raiders’ next three drives were three-and-outs, with New England picking up a pair of sacks. Right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson had a rough afternoon in particular.

Things improved in the second half. The Raiders had a five-play, 71-yard touchdown drive their first possession after halftime, with Jeanty scoring from three yards out to put the team up 14-10.

New England (0-1) still finished with four sacks and 10 tackles for loss on the day.

Defense hangs in

The Raiders gave up 199 yards in the first half and struggled to get consistent pressure on second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

That changed in the second half. New England at one point failed to score on six straight possessions, which opened the door for the Raiders to take a 20-10 lead with 6:46 remaining.

The team’s defensive line and secondary worked in concert to keep the Patriots from scoring. Defensive linemen Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson and Jonah Laulu each finished with a sack, while safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had an interception.

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