Raiders’ Brian Hoyer Utilizes Patriots Experience For Huge Play

Brian Hoyer knows the New England Patriots about as well as any active player after eight seasons across three stints with the team.

On Sunday, Hoyer replaced starting quarterback and fellow former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo, who left the game with a back injury.

Just a few plays into his relief appearance, Hoyer took a shot against the New England defense and hit Tre Tucker for a 48-yard play on 3rd-and-4. The veteran admitted his experience in the Patriots system gave him insight into the chance to hit on a big play.

"Having been there for the last seven years, I know a lot of times on third down, they want to take away your best players," Hoyer told reporters after the game, per a team-provided video. "For us, that would be Davante (Adams) and Jakobi (Meyers). That was something we were keyed in on. It's something that I've seen in practice over the years a lot of times. I was just waiting to see were they going to do that. You never know when it's going to come up."

The Raiders converted on third down and ultimately closed out a 21-17 win over the Patriots for the second straight season.

"That's a play that we've kind of had in our pocket for a while," Hoyer added. "It's just a matter of the right coverage. He executed it perfectly."

The Raiders returned to .500 at 3-3 while the Patriots continue to disappoint with a 1-5 record.