Drake Maye gave the Patriots another loud reminder of why last season’s Super Bowl run was no surprise. New England entered Sunday at 2-2, trying to build back toward championship form, and Maye led a 45-17 win over…

Las Vegas came in hoping its improved offense could keep growing around running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders struck first after New England opened the scoring. Maye found DeMario Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown, but Las Vegas answered with a sharp drive. Bowers caught a 24-yard pass, then finished the march with a 13-yard touchdown catch to tie the game 7-7.

That was as close as the Raiders would get. New England’s balanced offense began to wear down Las Vegas. Rhamondre Stevenson powered in from 5 yards out for a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Raiders got a huge break when Corey Kiner fumbled at the New England 38. But the Patriots defense held strong, and Matt Gay’s 49-yard field-goal try hit the left upright.

Maye made that missed chance hurt even more. With less than two minutes left before halftime, Stevenson ripped off a 20-yard run. Then Maye hit Hunter Henry for 26 yards and came right back to Henry for an 11-yard touchdown. New England took a 21-7 lead into halftime, turning a Raiders opportunity into a Patriots surge.

The third quarter became Maye’s playground. He threw a 34-yard touchdown to Kyle Williams, stretching the lead to 28-7. Las Vegas answered with a 46-yard field goal, and Bowers kept making plays over the middle. He finished with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Yet New England’s defense limited Jeanty to 27 rushing yards on 10 carries, making it hard for the Raiders to control the game on the ground.

Maye then marched the Patriots downfield again, capping the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 35-10 lead. Soon after, Bowers caught a 15-yard pass but lost a fumble near the New England 36. Safety Woods recovered it, ending another Raiders push and sealing the momentum.

The Patriots kept rolling in the fourth. A short field goal made it 38-10, and after Las Vegas scored on Dylan Laube’s 2-yard run, Maye led one final answer. Douglas caught an 8-yard touchdown for his second score of the day. Maye finished with 374 passing yards, while New England piled up 536 total yards.

The Patriots moved to 3-2 and now head to face the New York Jets with their offense firing again. The Raiders also stand at 3-2, but their trip to face the Buffalo Bills will demand a faster start and more success protecting their young stars. On this Sunday, Maye and the Patriots showed the powerful, fast-moving attack that can make another championship chase possible.

Drake Maye’s Four-Touchdown Day Powers Patriots Past Raiders