Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a back injury in the first half of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots and did not return. Garoppolo was hit by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower as he threw a pass late in the second quarter. He stayed down on the field for a few minutes before being helped to the sideline. He was then taken to the locker room and later transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.
Garoppolo completed 14 of 22 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception before leaving the game. He also ran for 12 yards on two carries. He was playing against one of his former teams, as he spent four seasons with the Patriots from 2014 to 2017.
Hoyer steps in, leads Raiders to victory
With Garoppolo out, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer took over for the Raiders in the second half. Hoyer, another former Patriot, threw for 102 yards on 10 of 15 passing and did not turn the ball over. He led the Raiders on two scoring drives, including a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Josh Jacobs in the fourth quarter. That gave the Raiders a 21-10 lead with 9:14 left in the game.
Hoyer said he was ready to step in when Garoppolo went down. “It’s my 15th year,” Hoyer said. “I’ve pretty much seen all the situations, and really what it comes down to is playing football regardless of the situation.”
Raiders end scoring drought, reach milestone
The Raiders snapped a six-game streak of scoring fewer than 20 points, dating back to last season. They also reached a franchise milestone, as this was their 500th regular-season victory as a franchise, 10th best all time. The Raiders improved to 3-3 on the season and are tied for second place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos.
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2022, praised his team’s performance and resilience. “I’m really proud of our guys,” McDaniels said. “They fought hard, they played hard, they executed well. We had some adversity with Jimmy going out, but Brian came in and did a great job. We had contributions from everybody.”
Patriots fall to 1-5, Belichick stuck at 299 wins
The Patriots suffered their fourth straight loss and fell to 1-5 on the season, their worst start since 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach. Belichick remains at 299 career regular-season wins, one shy of becoming the third coach in NFL history to reach 300, behind Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318).
The Patriots struggled on both sides of the ball against the Raiders. They managed only 17 points and 281 yards of offense, while allowing 21 points and 369 yards of defense. They also committed two turnovers and seven penalties for 55 yards.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who was drafted in the first round this year, completed 18 of 32 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also lost a fumble on a sack by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby in the third quarter. Jones said he was frustrated by the loss and his mistakes. “We have to do better as a team,” Jones said. “I have to do better as a quarterback. I have to protect the ball better and make better decisions.”
