Klint Kubiak’s way of doing business is leaving a strong impression in Las Vegas, and Raiders general manager John Spytek seems especially taken with how brisk and no-nonsense the new head coach is.
Spytek, speaking before Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium, described Kubiak as a coach who is relentless about the details and completely locked in on the job.
"Very thorough, very detailed, very hardworking,” Spytek said. “He doesn't have time to phone calls are about 2 minutes and then you might get hung up on before you actually get a chance to say goodbye.
“I just appreciate he's the same guy every day,” he added. “He challenges the guys.
He hold them holds them accountable. There's a discipline to the way that he sets up a schedule and what he demands of the players that I think is consistent with the really good coaches that I've been around."
That steady routine has become part of the picture around a Raiders team entering its 57th NFL season. It’s the second year for Spytek in the front office and the first year with Kubiak running the show after he was hired on Feb. 9, following his stint as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
The biggest on-field decision so far came Wednesday morning, when Kubiak announced Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback over No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza. Cousins will open the season in Week 1 against the Dolphins, and Spytek said both quarterbacks had earned their place.
"Well, number one, I think they all earned it. I also don't think you can have enough good quarterbacks. We saw some teams keep four, and we obviously have a lot of faith in Kirk [Cousins] and Fernando [Mendoza] as the number one pick."
Kubiak also pointed to another major influence behind the scenes: Tom Brady. The head coach said the Raiders have been leaning on Brady regularly as they shape the roster and build the program.
"We lean on him for a lot of things. Talk to him multiple times a week, and he's been extremely helpful for roster building, for schematics, for team building.
You name it, he's been helpful with it. He's been an extremely impressive resource."
For now, Mendoza’s path looks like the patient one. Raiders management sees him as the quarterback of the future, but there’s no urgency to throw him into the fire right away. Kubiak was asked whether Mendoza could see the field this season, and he kept it simple: "Let's work to Miami first."
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