Kirk Cousins and Raiders look to build on fast start against Patriots defense dealing with injuries

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Kirk Cousins' torrid start to the season has been one of the NFL's biggest surprises.

The 38-year-old Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is looking to keep it going this week at New England against a Patriots defense that is suddenly having trouble keeping its secondary healthy.

Despite his first loss of the season last week against Kansas City, Cousins is up to 11 touchdown passes — the fastest he has reached that total through four games in his 15-year career. His previous best was 10 TDs through four games in 2018. It has helped quiet the chatter about him being simply a bridge quarterback to Fernando Mendoza, who Las Vegas took No. 1 overall in April.

Cousins said he's just enjoying seeing the resilience of the entire team in Klint Kubiak's first season, a group Cousins said is confirming what he observed from them going back to spring workouts.

“These guys, they want to do it the right way. Football means something to them,” Cousins said. "They’re hardworking, listen well, and it makes it a joy to be the quarterback for a group of guys like that. But yo'veu got to go prove it again every week.”

That next challenge is a Patriots team whose win at Buffalo last week helped the defending AFC champions avoid a 1-3 start. That victory not only saw quarterback Drake Maye break out of an early season funk with three touchdowns, but a defense playing without star cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) was able to slow quarterback Josh Allen enough to best their division rival.

Gonzalez sat out this week's first two practices, putting his availability in question for the second straight game. Fellow starting cornerback Carlton Davis (neck) also missed the first two practices, along with rookie Karon Prunty (hamstring). Other cornerbacks that were limited in practice to begin the week were Charles Woods (shoulder) and rookie Channing Canada (hamstring).

Whoever is available Sunday, Maye said carrying as much of the momentum they can from last week is the goal.

“You would like to say everybody — especially on offense — you’d like to say that the first three weeks weren’t what we wanted to put out there,” Maye said. "You have to try to build off last week, knowing that it’s not just going to do it for you. You have to put the work in and the focus, and hopefully continue to catch a trend and catch a stride.

Las Vegas (3-1) at New England (2-2)

When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS.

Latest odds: Patriots by 3 1/2.

Against the spread: Raiders 4-0; Patriots 2-1-1.

Last week: Raiders lost to Chiefs 30-27; Patriots beat Bills 29-26.

Last meeting: Raiders beat Patriots 20-13 on Sept. 5, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass.

Series record: Patriots lead 20-18-1.

Raiders' red-zone defense vs. Patriots' red-zone offense. Las Vegas has been susceptible to giving up big plays this season. Once inside the 20, opponents have feasted, scoring touchdowns on 10 of 13 (76.9%) of their trips. But the Patriots have struggled in the red zone through four games, scoring on just four of nine (44.4%) of their opportunities.

— Las Vegas and Detroit are the only teams that have scored 25 or more points in each game this season. It’s the second time in franchise history the Raiders have accomplished that in their first four games of a season. The 2002 team was the other one to do it.

— The Raiders lead the NFL with nine takeaways, one more than four other teams. That total is tied for sixth in franchise history with the 1972 team for the most through four games in a season.

— Las Vegas has 12 sacks and allowed five, and the Raiders’ seven-sack differential is tied with the Lions for the league’s best.

— The Raiders’ Dylan Laube leads the NFL with a 33.4-yard kickoff return average.

— The Patriots, including the playoffs, have won nine of their past 10 home games, including a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh in Week 2.

— New England is looking to snap a three-game losing streak to Las Vegas, having lost to the Raiders in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

— Maye’s seven interceptions are one shy of the eight he threw during all of last regular season.

AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reacts in the first half against the Buffalo Bills during an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs against the Buffalo Bills in the first half during an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

CHICAGO (AP) — José Ramírez homered and drove in three runs, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night to send their AL Division Series to a winner-take-all Game 5.

Patrick Bailey also went deep and Game 2 starter Gavin Williams came out of the bullpen to get the last three outs as the Guardians won for the second consecutive day after beginning their postseason with two straight losses at home. Jo Adell hit a two-run single to cap a six-run sixth inning for the AL Central champions.

“This team has answered all year,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We talk about it — we punch back.”

Cleveland is looking to become the first major league team to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series since the 2017 New York Yankees accomplished the feat against, well, Cleveland. Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five postseason series have gone on to win 83 of 93 times.

Game 5 is back in Cleveland on Saturday night, and the winner will open the American League Championship Series at Tampa Bay next Monday.

“As we’ve battled back and forth with these guys, obviously fitting that it’s going to come down to this,” White Sox manager Will Venable said.

Chicago's bullpen — one of its biggest strengths in a surprising season — is suddenly looking very tired. Grant Taylor was hit hard after pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings over the first two games of the series, allowing four runs and four hits without retiring any of the six batters he faced during Cleveland's rally in the sixth.

Miguel Vargas homered late for the White Sox, who flopped in their second straight bid to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Sam Antonacci drove in two runs.

All-Star closer Cade Smith worked a scoreless eighth for the Guardians but then gave up Vargas' first postseason homer and a walk to start the ninth. He was replaced by Williams, who was making his first career relief appearance and could still start Game 5 as well.

The right-hander needed 18 pitches to get three outs after throwing 98 pitches on Monday. He was the seventh Guardians reliever as the teams combined to use 15 pitchers in a game that took 3 hours, 39 minutes.

Williams went 14-8 this season and led the AL with 248 strikeouts.

Cleveland trailed 2-0 before rallying in the fifth. Bailey led off with a pinch-hit homer, and Steven Kwan chased Erick Fedde with a one-out single.

Jordan Hicks came in and Ramírez drove a 99.9 mph fastball deep to right-center for just his second homer since Sept. 1, a span of 26 games. The seven-time All-Star had surgery after he broke a bone in his left hand on a swing June 13.

“It was José Ramírez being José Ramírez in the playoffs,” Vogt said. “Bring in a fastball, Hicks with a great fastball, and Josy got to it. To step up, say there he goes again.”

It was Ramírez's first postseason homer since 2024 and No. 5 overall. He also starred in Game 3, finishing with two hits and two RBIs in Cleveland's 9-3 victory.

“It was really special,” Ramírez said through a translator. “It was great energy out there, and very special to share this with the guys.”

Chicago responded with two runs in the bottom half, sending a charge through the crowd of 39,920. Antonacci was hit by a pitch from Tim Herrin with the bases loaded, and Brenton Doyle made it 4-3 with a sacrifice fly. The White Sox had the bases loaded with two down, but rookie Braden Montgomery struck out swinging against winning pitcher Erik Sabrowski.

Antonacci has been plunked 33 times this year, including a franchise-record 29 in the regular season. The rookie became the first player in postseason history to be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded multiple times in a career, after he was also plunked in the same situation in Game 3.

Losing pitcher Anthony Kay started the sixth for Chicago, but the left-hander was replaced by Taylor after Travis Bazzana's RBI double tied it at 4. Bailey greeted Taylor with a run-scoring single, and Cleveland started to pull away.

Walks by Brayan Rocchio and Kwan loaded the bases for Ramírez, who made it 6-4 with an infield single. Chase DeLauter added another run-scoring single before Adell capped the outburst with a liner to right that drove in Kwan and Ramírez.

“I feel like we’ve been impacting the baseball a lot better the last two games,” Bailey said. “Obviously, the more you see a certain guy, kind of not necessarily more comfortable, but you get to see that kind of shapes more and more. Definitely helps.”

Adell hit a three-run triple during Cleveland's Game 3 victory. He has four hits, three walks and six RBIs in the series.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Chicago White Sox players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas watches his solo home run during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Gavin Williams delivers during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez celebrates after hitting a 2-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez hits a 2-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)