Raiders vs Patriots 2023 Week 6: Studs and Duds
Stop me if you’ve heard this before but the Las Vegas Raiders just won a game with a clutch defensive play to hold on to a slim lead. A week after Amik Robertson came up with a huge game-sealing interception against the Green Bay Packers, Maxx Crosby and a couple buddies from the defensive line took down Mac Jones for a safety to seal a victory against the New England Patriots.
The game was an ugly affair between two offenses that have struggled mightily all season long but it was the Raiders defense that came up with the biggest plays. It has been several years since the Raider defense was able to close out games for the team, perhaps since 2016, but it has been refreshing to see them become the dominant unit in a game.
We can’t overlook the fact that the Raiders have beaten some very bad teams in close games but this is the NFL so every victory should be appreciated and we have seen that any one can be beaten on any given Sunday. The Raiders still have a ton of issues on the offense and their defense is far from elite, but they are competitive and keeping most games close.
Their reward next week is a potential matchup against an undrafted rookie in Tyson Bagent and an awful Bears team, but first let’s cover the studs and duds from a dramatic win