Patriots allow Raiders to block punt, score touchdown before halftime

BOSTON -- The Patriots had some execution issues in the first half in Las Vegas. To say the least.

Between penalties, burned timeouts, a red-zone flop, and a defensive breakdown, it wasn't a pretty scene for the bulk of the first half. Still, they only trailed by a touchdown and appeared to be on the way to heading into halftime with a 10-3 score in favor of the Raiders.

That's when the sloppiest play of a sloppy first half took place.

After a third-and-11 completion to Hunter Henry was stopped well short of the line to gain, the Patriots lined up to punt on fourth-and-6 with 35 seconds left to play in the half. All New England needed to do was boot the ball away, and they'd likely enter the second half trailing by seven, and they'd be starting that second half with possession of the football.

But punting the ball away proved to be too much for the Patriots. 

Safeties Jabrill Peppers and Adrian Phillips were communicating with each other, trying to sort out where the blocking should be for the play, when long snapper Joe Cardona fired the ball back to Michael Palardy. As a result, Malcolm Koonce was able to streak in off the right end of the formation completely unblocked, and he had a free run at the punter. Koonce blocked the punt with ease, and though Peppers was able to recover the loose ball, he ended up running backward to the New England 20-yard line before getting swarmed by black jerseys.

So instead of taking over deep in their own territory, the Raiders took over at the Patriots' 20-yard line.

They made it hurt, too -- though they got some help from New England.

Jonathan Jones was flagged for illegal contact on a second-and-5 incompletion, giving Las Vegas a first down at the 10. On the next snap, Peppers was flagged for defensive holding, giving the Raiders a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. On the next play, Carr hit Mack Hollins for a 5-yard touchdown pass over the middle.

The PAT was good, and the Raiders stretched that lead to 17-3 at the half.

Last year, the Patriots allowed three blocked punts. This year, that issue had been cleaned up -- until Sunday in Las Vegas.