Remember Brian Hoyer Critiques? Patriots Now Can’t Beat Those QBs

Patriots fans might have thought they were going to back their way into a Week 6 win when Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Brian Hoyer took over in the second half at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

New Englanders are quite familiar with the 38-year-old Hoyer, after all. He played a combined seven seasons over three stints for Bill Belichick’s team and was well-respected by teammates and coaches during his tenure. However, when Hoyer got an opportunity with the Patriots his on-field play left a lot to be desired.

Remember Kansas City in Oct. 2020? Hoyer was abysmal in that Week 4 contest, his first-ever start for the Patriots which he later called a “bad memory.” Hoyer completed just 62.5% of his passes, threw one interception and took two ill-advised sacks. He badly mismanaged the clock at the end of the first half, and prohibited the Patriots from converting a field goal and tying the game at the intermission. That play might will live on forever in the minds of Patriots fans.

Hoyer, who fumbled the ball away on New England’s initial second-half possession, then was benched for Jarrett Stidham in Kansas City. Hoyer looked like the furthest thing from a veteran signal-caller that night.

The 2023 Patriots now can’t beat those quarterbacks.

Their 21-17 loss to Hoyer and the Raiders on Sunday was proof.

Hoyer completed six of his 10 passes for 102 yards and did not turn the ball over against a Patriots team that relies on its defense. After another former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo exited the game and was transported to the hospital with a back injury, Hoyer led a 10-play drive which covered 63 yards and was capped off by a field goal. He threw a 48-yard pass to Tre Tucker on his third snap.

When Hoyer and company came back onto the field after the Raiders’ defense forced a three-and-out, the veteran with a 16-24 overall record as a starter again helped Las Vegas tack on a field goal. The Raiders covered 59 yards in nine plays on that drive, which started as Hoyer found Davante Adams for a 21-yard gain on the first snap of the possession.

Four minutes and 24 seconds later Daniel Carlson hit a 24-yard chip shot to give Las Vegas a two-possession lead with 13:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots, who combine to score a mere three points in their previous two games, are not built to overcome a two-possession deficit in the final frame. The game seemingly was over then. From that point on, New England would have needed everything to go correct and a brutal drop by DeVante Parker proved that would not be the case.

Belichick’s team continues to reach new lows. They entered Sin City after two of the worst losses of the Belichick era, consecutive 30-point blowouts. They didn’t compile a single yard of offense during the first quarter against Las Vegas, which also was the first time in Belichick’s tenure.

But the inability to beat a veteran journeyman like Hoyer can be added to that list of embarrassing feats. Oh yeah, and now they just have to face Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa in consecutive contests.