Post-Game: Patriots 31, Raiders 19

The New England Patriots played the Oakland Raiders this afternoon. The Patriots were looking to get a win after they lost the game last week to the Buffalo Bills. DEFENSE was the Patriots mantra for the week and they were looking to get their act together today.

The first half was filled with offense on both sides and the Patriots were able to walk away with the lead after two quarters of play. They were able to establish the running game and worked to keep a balanced offensive attack. Tom Brady had a 15 yard pass to Wes Welker in the first quarter. And after Oakland took a 10-7 lead the Patriots were able to take the lead back on a BenJarvus Green-Ellis run. Green-Ellis scored on a one yard run giving the Pats a 14-10 lead. Then later in the second quarter the Patriots were able to get a field goal by Stephan Gostkowski.

In the third quarter the Patriots were able to get a Stevan Ridley 33 yard run to extend their lead to 21-10. This was Ridley’s first touchdown of his career. After a Raiders field goal the Patriots were able to work the ball down the field for a score. The score came in the fourth quarter on a Tom Brady four yard pass to Deion Branch, giving the Patriots a 31-13 lead. The Patriots defense may have struggled, but the offense was on point for the entire game.

The play of the game came by Vince Wilfolk who intercepted Jason Campbell’s pass. This was the second interception of Wilfork’s career and his second this season. The Patriots were able to get two key interceptions today when the Raiders were pushing them further back down the field. The defense finally showed that they could hold off the other team and limited the runs in the second half. The Patriots were able to get the win after a rough start to the game on the defensive end. The Patriots won 31-19 after trailing twice in this game.

Game Notes:

• Tom Brady completed 16 passes on 30 attempts for 226 yards. He also threw two touchdowns on zero interceptions.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 75 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown.
• Stevan Ridley ran for 97 yards on nine carries with a touchdown.
• Wes Welker had nine receptions for 158 yards with a touchdown.