Geno Smith gets Raiders off to a big start by beating Patriots in opener

Las Vegas Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) holds up Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (1) after Tucker scored a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. Photo by: Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press

The Raiders acquired Geno Smith this offseason hoping the veteran would bring stability to what’s been a trouble spot at quarterback for more than two seasons.

In his Raider debut, Smith did that and then some. The 13-year veteran had one of the best passing games in the six years since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in leading the silver and black to a 20-13 victory on the road over the New England Patriots.

“I don’t think it was a big statement game,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said of Smith in his postgame news conference. “That’s what he does…He’s a star player in the NFL.”

Smith threw for 362 yards — the most in the NFL’s Week 1 through the first slate of Sunday games — while completing 24 of 34 passing attempts.

The partnership between Smith and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly showed few if any growing pains. The pair operated with an efficiency that made it seem like they had worked together for years.

Kelly helped scheme third-year speed receiver Tre Tucker open for a 26-yard touchdown pass from Smith on the Raiders’ opening drive. That would be Smith’s only touchdown pass of the day, but he led three other scoring drives in the second half and got the Raiders on the fringes of field goal range in less than minute to end the first half.

Daniel Carlson missed that 58-yard attempt wide left but booted through two field goals in the third quarter, from 40 and 51 yards.

New England went into halftime with a 10-7 lead after Carlson’s miss. The Patriots scored on a 12-play, 77-yard drive after Smith threw an interception on the Raiders’ second drive.

His pass to Brock Bowers was a tad high, tipping off the tight end’s hands and into safety Jaylinn Hawkins’ hands.       

The Patriots capitalized on the mistake with their steady possession, capping with a 2-yard pass from Drake Maye to Demario Douglas.

That would be their only touchdown as the Raiders’ defense was just as strong as the offense.

Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson and Jonah Laulu all had sacks. The first three aforementioned edge rushers created havoc in other ways too, particularly picking on Patriots’ rookie first-round left tackle Will Campbell.

Crosby and defensive tackle Thomas Booker teamed up for a pressure right out of halftime that led to Maye throwing an interception to Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, another Raiders’ standout on Sunday.

“It’s always a good thing when pass rush and coverage work hand in hand,” Pola-Mao told Raiders.com. “The ball just floated and Coach jokes about it all the time, ‘we’ve got to catch it.’ And that’s what I did.”

Smith wasn’t going to allow the Raiders not to take advantage and connected on a pair of long passes to Jakobi Meyers, who finished with eight catches for 97 yards, to get in the red zone.

Jeanty rolled off a pile for a 3-yard touchdown run for the first of his NFL career. Like Campbell, his highly-drafted counterpart, Jeanty otherwise had some struggles in his debut.

He finished with 19 carries for 38 yards.

The Raiders went up 14-10 against the Patriots on Jeanty’s score and never trailed again.

Las Vegas leaned heavily on Bowers, who picked up where he left off last season with five catches for 103 yards, before leaving the game late with a knee injury. Carroll said Bowers was pushing to return but they held him out to be safe.

Las Vegas also lost middle linebacker Elandon Roberts in the first quarter to a sprained elbow, and he did not return.

But the rest of the linebackers, particularly veterans Devin White and Jamal Adams, stepped up in his absence and held New England to less than five yards per play.

Carroll wanted a full-team effort to start the season, and that’s what he got — with Smith leading the way.

“Complementary football is what it’s all about,” Crosby told Raiders.com.