3 Duds (& 2 Studs) From Patriots Week 6 Loss vs. Raiders

Dud: Patriots Third-Down Defense

Say what you want about Josh McDaniels, but the man obviously knows how to win a chess match against Bill Belichick.

He did it in his first ever matchup against Belichick as a head coach back in Denver (in 2009) and he won the chess match in a big way on Sunday.

Perhaps the most impressive number the Raiders posted on Sunday was 8-of-16, meaning they converted 50 percent of their third down attempts.

Now, 50 percent conversion rate on third downs doesn't look great in a vacuum, but that number includes a kneel at the end of the game on 3rd and 12 and the Patriots only forcing two punts all afternoon.

The Raiders are equipped to wear you down if you can't get off the field on third downs, and the fact that the Patriots weren't able to stop the Raiders enough in this game even with Brian Hoyer at QB is pretty bad.

It wasn't only the usual suspects making the Pats' third-down D look shaky either. Nobody should be giving up easy conversions to Michael Mayer...