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 Nose tackle Vince Wilfork came down with a deflected interception
at his team's 12 yard line with 51 seconds left to seal a 16-9
victory over the winless Oakland Raiders.
"We have to find a way to score more points. If we don't, we're
going to get beat," quarterback Tom Brady said after the Pats won
their second straight to go to 2-1. "We've got to play a lot better
... we're capable of it."
Brady has yet to throw for 250 yards in a game. He has been sacked
seven times, fumbled a ball away. He hasn't been intercepted and has
one touchdown pass in each game, but his throws, like the overall
offense, have been inconsistent -- as has his offensive line, which
is allowing him to get hit.
"We need to do a better job of getting the ball in the end zone,"
Brady said.
The inability to convert off a first down at the Oakland 2 led to
one of Stephen Gostkowski's three field goals. It also was one of
the things that allowed Oakland (0-3, with nine straight losses
dating back to last season) to hang in.
The Raiders thought they tied the game when running back Darren
McFadden scored from six yards out with 1:02 left. But a holding
penalty on guard Gabe Jackson erased the score sent the ball back to
the 12-yard line.
Rookie Derek Carr then hit Denarius Moore with a pass, but the ball
bounced off Moore, hit New England cornerback Logan Ryan and
deflected to Wilfork, who made his third career interception, the
second against Oakland.
"That's was a team play," said Wilfork, who added, "The credit
doesn't go all to me."
Oakland had gotten down to the 6 on a pass interference call on Ryan
on a long Carr pass.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, continuing his comeback from knee surgery,
caught his second touchdown pass of the season for the only TD of
the game. Later, he failed to hold a pass that was deflected by
safety Charles Woodson in the end zone. That was one of the
unsuccessful plays down near the goal line.
The Raiders got three field goals from Sebastian Janikowski on the
team's first three field goal tries of the season. He hit from 49,
37 and 47 yards to clear the 1,500-point mark in his distinguished
NFL career.
It was Oakland's 15th straight loss in the Eastern time zone.
"We fought hard and I'm proud of every one of us," said linebacker
Miles Burris. "It was a heartbreaking way to lose. That is what
hurts."
Brady was 24 of 37 for 234 yards, 84 of them to favorite receiver
Julian Edelman, who had 10 catches -- his fourth career 10-reception
game. Brady also threw a key block on a late running play by Shane
Vereen.
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The win was the 150th in the regular season by Brady, third-most in
NFL history.
The touchdown pass came after a questionable pass interference call
of cornerback Tarell Brown, which essentially turned three points
into seven.
Carr, showing guts by throwing right -- and successfully -- at star
cornerback Darrelle Revis, was 21 of 34 for 174 yards.
"He has always looked comfortable to us and he has been improving
every week, on and off the field," said Oakland fullback Marcel
Reece, who had three catches for 19 yards. "We need to continue to
give him more help and make bigger plays for him."
The Patriots, who came in having been guilty of committing 24
penalties for 263 yards in their first two games, had six for 59
yards Sunday.
"We had fewer penalties in all three phases of the game," said coach
Bill Belichick.
NOTES: Oakland WR Rod Streater caught three passes early but was
carted off the sideline with a foot injury. ... New England DT
Sealver Saliga left early with a foot injury. ... RB Maurice
Jones-Drew (hand), backup QB Matt Schaub (wife's early childbirth)
and CB Chimdi Chekwa (knee) were among the Oakland inactives. ... WR
Aaron Dobson (healthy), CB Alfonzo Dennard (shoulder) and C Ryan
Wendell (knee) were among those out for the Patriots. ... LB Jamie
Collins returned for the Patriots after missing a game with a thigh
injury. ... The Raiders, who have already flown twice to the East
Coast and will fly over 30,000 miles this season, are in London to
play the Miami Dolphins next Sunday. ... The Patriots visit the
Kansas City Chiefs for Monday Night Football on Sept. 29. ... Local
celebrity Mark Wahlberg was on the field before the game and sat
with New England owner Robert Kraft.
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