FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With the offense continuing to struggle, it took the New England defense to make the play that allowed the Patriots to escape with a win on Sunday.
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.
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 determination 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 on 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.