There are devastating losses, and then there's what the New England Patriots experienced Sunday in Las Vegas.
The Patriots were on the verge of 8-6 as they held a seven-point lead with 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. That's when Raiders quarterback Derek Carr launched a 30-yard pass caught in the end zone caught by Keelan Cole, whose foot appeared to be just barely out of bounds.
However, upon further review, officials ruled Cole's catch as a touchdown. You be the judge on that one.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
A controversial call, to say the least.
The Raiders tied it at 24 with their extra point and the Patriots had 30 seconds to either win it or send it to overtime. They did neither. Disaster struck on the game's final play as Jakobi Meyers' last-ditch lateral was intercepted by ex-Patriots star Chandler Jones, who returned it for the game-winning TD.
The 30-24 loss has significant postseason implications for the Patriots as they now find themselves outside of the AFC playoff picture with three regular-season games remaining.
Here are our takeaways from a wild one at Allegiant Stadium. Next up for the Patriots is a must-win matchup vs. the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
New England Patriots
Self-inflicted wounds prove costly. Again.
The Patriots have shot themselves in the foot all season long and it was the same old story on Sunday. One of the most glaring examples came in the second quarter when they started the drive at their own 12-yard line and worked their way down to the goal line, only for their 32nd-ranked red-zone offense to come back to haunt them.
First, Mac Jones tossed an incompletion to an open receiver.
Jones hit Jakobi Meyers for what looked to be a touchdown on the next play, but it was negated by a pre-snap timeout.
After an incompletion on a slant to Nelson Agholor, Jones took it into the end zone himself. The TD was negated by a Jonnu Smith false start. New England settled for the field goal.
The play-calling, as it has often been this season, also deserved some blame. Why not run it with Rhamondre Stevenson?
That sequence summed up the Patriots' ongoing issues, but it was far from their only bonehead moment of the day. The special teams unit allowed a blocked punt. From there, Jonathan Jones and Jabrill Peppers were flagged on back-to-back plays to set up a Raiders 1st-and-Goal. Derek Carr found Mack Hollins for the TD to finish off the first half.
The Raiders actually were even more out of whack... at least until the final play. They were penalized a whopping 13 times for a total of 90 yards. They came oh so close to going 0-5 this season in games in which they held a lead at the half.
Chandler Jones' game-winning touchdown summed it all up. This Patriots team just can't get out of its own way.
Pats defense can't bail out inept offense
Yet again, Mac Jones and the Patriots couldn't get much of anything going in the passing game.
No matter how much Jones despises the quick game, Matt Patricia insists on sticking with it. The Patriots' offensive game plan consisted almost entirely of screens and quick passes near the line of scrimmage.
When Jones threw it downfield, the results weren't a whole lot better. He was inaccurate for most of the day and the numbers show it as he finished just 13-of-31 for 112 yards and zero TDs (52.1 rating).
Safety Kyle Dugger did his best to pick up the slack. He got the second half started with a pick-six that gave the Patriots much-needed momentum.
The short-handed secondary, missing cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jack Jones, did a fantastic job keeping Davante Adams (four receptions, 28 yards) and the Raiders wideouts in check. Rookie swiss army knife Marcus Jones stepped up and played a big role in the unit's success.
The Patriots defense tallied three sacks -- one from Ja'Whaun Bentley and halves from Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, and Josh Uche. It was a quiet day from Matt Judon, who didn't make an appearance on the stat sheet.
Rhamondre Stevenson a bright spot
Patriots fans and Rhamondre Sevenson fantasy owners no longer have to worry about the second-year running back's ankle injury. He returned to action Sunday and picked up right where he left off.
Stevenson had 19 carries for 172 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots a lead with 3:43 left in the game.
If there's one positive to take away from the horrendous loss, it's Stevenson's health and continued production.
The rookie running backs also built off last week's strong showing. Pierre Strong Jr. notched four carries for 25 yards, including a 14-yard rush, and Kevin Harris had five carries for 19 yards. His longest went for 11.