3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 6 Loss vs. Raiders

The New England Patriots looked more competent in Week 6 than they did in the previous two weeks.

Competency was not good enough for the Patriots to beat the Las Vegas Raiders, but the team might have taken a step in the right direction on Sunday.

Mac Jones led the Patriots offense to 17 points. They had three combined points in the last two weeks.

New England got some solid production out of both of its top running backs, Kendrick Bourne had 10 catches and Mike Gesicki got involved more than he has all season.

Defensively, the Patriots were unable to contain the Raiders' passing game and they allowed Josh Jacobs to run for 77 yards.

The Patriots were not played out of the game. They at least had a chance to be competitive in the fourth quarter.

It seems wild that we are talking about a Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team in that light, but that is the reality in 2023.

The Offense Scored Two Touchdowns!

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 8: Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots smiles on the field prior to the start of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 8, 2023 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

New England recorded its first touchdown since Week 3 on Ezekiel Elliott's two-yard run in the third quarter.

The Patriots added another short-yardage score from Rhamondre Stevenson to cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter.

An offense scoring two touchdowns in one game is not typically celebrated in the NFL, but the Patriots will take anything after scoring three points versus the Dallas Cowboys and the shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The pair of rushing scores came off double-digit play drives that spanned 75 yards.

That may be the biggest takeaway of them all from Sunday's loss. The Patriots were able to move the ball on a consistent basis.

They went 75 yards on 10 plays over six minutes on the Elliott scoring drive and went 75 on 17 plays in nine minutes on the Stevenson scoring series.

New England has to be more efficient on a fourth-quarter scoring drive during a comeback attempt, but that seems less important in the current situation where scoring points was the problem going into Week 6.

Mac Jones Looked Competent

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 15: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots attempts a pass during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

Again, this feels like something we should not have to praise the Patriots for, but that is the current state of the franchise.

Jones did not get benched on Sunday, and in fact, he turned in a decent performance with 200 yards on a 24-for-33 day in the pocket.

Jones recorded his second-highest completion percentage of 2023 and his best since Week 2.

The 2021 first-round pick found a consistent target in Bourne and finally worked Gesicki into the offense with three catches. Gesicki had not gone over 20 receiving yards in each of the last three games.

Jones was far from perfect. He last threw a touchdown pass in Week 3 and threw his seventh interception of the season.

At least Jones did not get benched on Sunday and turned in a performance that the Patriots can build on as they try to escape the AFC East basement.

Former Patriots Thrived in Las Vegas Passing Game

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 15: Jakobi Meyers #16 of the Las Vegas Raiders catches a pass during the first half against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

It is difficult not to think about what the Patriots offense would look like with Jakobi Meyers still in it.

Meyers had five receptions for 61 yards and found the end zone once on Sunday.

Meyers has 335 receiving yards this season, which is a higher total than every Patriots wide receiver. Bourne is the only New England player with more than 200 receiving yards.

New England was also hurt by two former Tom Brady backups. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 162 yards and a touchdown and then Brian Hoyer went 6-for-10 with 102 yards in place of the injured Raiders starter.

Michael Mayer, who was the Raiders' leading receiver, is a rookie and not a former Patriots player, but he has the physique of Rob Gronkowski. Mayer's five-catch, 75-yard performance may have left New England fans longing for a tall, physical presence across the middle.

The Patriots may have left Allegiant Stadium a bit envious of what the Las Vegas offense looks like right now, a unit that also includes Davante Adams.

The gap in quality at wide receiver will be on display over the next two weeks, as the Patriots face the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins in two AFC East contest in which they will be a significant underdog.