Kirk Cousins had a new celebration ready for the moment the Raiders needed one most.
With Las Vegas trailing 30-21 against the Jets, Cousins broke out the “wellness celly,” mimicking an elbow massage as the comeback started to take shape in a 38-33 road win. He later explained the move to Megan Olivi.
“We played through (adversity)…This league's gonna test ya…I call that my wellness celebration, I told (teammates) if I had a rushing touchdown I'd do it, and Brock Bowers as I was jogging off the field, I wouldn't have thought to do it, he goes, ‘Hit 'em with a wellness celly!' So I did it.”
Cousins finished with more than 200 yards and three touchdown passes, leaning heavily on Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and Michael Mayer while steering the Raiders back from a 23-14 halftime hole. Fernando Mendoza, described as a possible replacement and 2026 NFL Draft first round pick, watched from the sideline as Cousins put together the kind of performance that flipped the game.
Bowers was the biggest force in the passing attack, piling up 92 yards and two touchdowns after a big day through the air helped spark the rally.
Jeanty’s workload was a surprise, especially after Rex Ryan took aim at his comments about the Jets’ tackling ability before the game. He ended up with 25 carries for 83 yards after giving way to Mike Washington Jr. in the run game.
The win pushed Las Vegas to 4-4, and the next test comes November 8 at home against the San Francisco 49ers.
In Other News...
Raiders Win Sparked A Bigger Ashton Jeanty Question
The Raiders Week 8 win over the Jets brought a little extra attention to Ashton Jeanty, not because of what he did after the game, but because of what he said before it. Klint Kubiak addressed Jeantys pregame comments and made clear the rookies role was not being shaped by anything he said about New York, a useful bit of context for a team still sorting out how it wants to deploy its backfield.
Mike Washington Jr. ended up handling the heavier rushing load, while Jeanty was more involved as a receiver, a split that fit the way the game unfolded in Las Vegas favor. For a player with Jeantys profile, the bigger question now is less about one weeks usage and more about how the Raiders decide to balance his touches as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Escaped With A Win But Their Secondary Has A New Problem
The Raiders left New York with a win in Week 8, but the trip did little to quiet the concerns around a secondary that was under pressure for much of the afternoon. Las Vegas survived a second-half comeback from the Jets, yet the defense spent too much time on its heels, and the issues in coverage were hard to ignore even with the result in hand.
Eric Stokes was at the center of it, as the Jets kept testing the cornerback and found enough success to keep their offense moving. He was not the only one having a rough day in the back end, either, with other Raiders defenders also struggling to slow down New York's passing game. The victory matters in the standings, but the tape will give this coaching staff plenty to sort through before the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Bowers Is Giving Raiders Fans Real Reason To Believe Again
The Raiders 38-33 win over the Jets in Week 8 offered more than just a needed step back to .500. It also gave Las Vegas another glimpse of how Brock Bowers can tilt a game in ways defenses do not always expect, with the rookie working outside and making himself a problem all over the field. Kirk Cousins did his part as well, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns to help push the Raiders to 4-4.
What stood out most was the way Bowers was deployed, because it was not the usual tight end usage that most teams can easily game-plan around. His production from an outside alignment added a wrinkle the Raiders can keep leaning on, and it came in a performance that placed him in rare company for the position. For a team trying to build real momentum, that kind of versatility is exactly the sort of development that can change the conversation around the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]