What Were Patriots Thinking On This Disastrous Play Vs. Raiders?

LAS VEGAS — The first half of Sunday’s Patriots-Raiders game ended in miserable fashion for New England.

With 35 seconds left before halftime at Allegiant Stadium, an ill-timed miscommunication on special teams allowed Las Vegas linebacker Malcolm Koonce to block a Michael Palardy punt, giving the Raiders possession at the Patriots’ 20-yard line.

Safety Jabrill Peppers was motioning to personal protector Adrian Phillips as long snapper fired the ball back to Palardy. With the two blockers distracted, Koonce was able to shoot around the edge and swat down the punt.

It’s unclear whether Cardona, Peppers or someone else was the player at fault, but the error proved costly. The Raiders took over deep in New England territory, and after back-to-back defensive penalties — including a hold by Peppers — Derek Carr fired a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins.

Had the Patriots simply been able to punt the ball away, they likely would have entered halftime down seven points and ready to receive the second-half kickoff. Instead, the special teams gaffe and Hollins’ ensuing score put them behind 17-3.

It was the most glaring error in a half full of them for the Patriots, who also committed a handful of mistakes during one red-zone visit to squander a prime scoring opportunity.