Kwity Paye looked like a perfect running mate for Maxx Crosby after Week 1. Then the production cooled off fast.
The Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher opened the 2026 season with a monster performance against the Miami Dolphins, piling up 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, five stops and eight pressures. But there was a catch even in that big debut: none of the sacks or pressures came quickly, and only one arrived in under 2.5 seconds. It was the kind of output that leaned on effort and coverage, and while it absolutely counted, it was never going to be the kind of pace that holds up every week.
That’s exactly what has happened over the last two games. Paye hasn’t registered a sack or a quarterback hit in that stretch, and he’s managed just one pressure and one stop.
His pass-rush win rate sits at a rough 4.9%, and his snap share hasn’t fallen enough to explain away the dip. The good news for Las Vegas is that Malcolm Koonce has picked up the slack, putting together a strong two-game run with 2.5 sacks, two more quarterback hits, six stops and eight total pressures after opening the year with only three pressures.
The bad news is that Paye’s disappearance has been too dramatic for a player carrying a $48 million price tag over the next three years.
There is a caveat for Week 3: Paye was dealing with an illness. But that doesn’t change what happened in Week 2, and it doesn’t change the fact that he needs to get rolling again this Sunday.
For the Raiders, that matters beyond one stat line. A better Paye helps the whole front breathe, making Crosby and Koonce more dangerous too.
The matchup could be exactly what he needs. Kansas City is rolling out undrafted rookie left tackle Kahlil Benson, and the early returns have been rough.
Benson’s path is a good story. He won a National Championship at Indiana with one Fernando Mendoza in his final collegiate season, went undrafted and unsigned, then landed a rookie minicamp deal with the Chiefs and somehow ended up starting at left tackle.
But the feel-good angle doesn’t change the tape.
Benson was already a weak spot at right tackle for the Hoosiers last year, and he’s been one again for Kansas City this season. Through three games, he’s allowed nine pressures and five quarterback hits.
The Chiefs gave him more help in the first two games, but last week against the Dolphins he was left to handle more on his own and got exposed. Against a Las Vegas front that can bring heat from multiple places, that’s a dangerous way to live.
Josh Uche showed exactly how vulnerable Benson can be. Uche, who had just one pressure in Miami’s loss to the Raiders, came back with four against Benson and the Chiefs last week, with three of them coming in the fourth quarter.
One came on a rip move, another on a speed-to-power rush that sent Benson backward, and another with a simple inside move. That’s technique, strength and footwork all failing in the same quarter.
The run game hasn’t offered much relief either. Off Benson, the Chiefs are averaging only 3.7 yards per carry and have not scored a touchdown either inside or outside of him, while producing just four first downs. Away from that side, they’ve been much better, averaging 5.4 yards per carry with three touchdowns and 22 first downs.
For Paye, the setup is there. Now he has to cash it in.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Face A Familiar Allegiant Problem Before Chiefs Game
When Allegiant Stadium opened, Raiders fans were told it would give the team a true home-field edge in Las Vegas. Instead, Sundays against Kansas City have often turned into a familiar sight, with plenty of red in the stands and visiting fans making the trip well in advance of kickoff. With the Chiefs coming to town again on Sunday, the Raiders are once more bracing for a crowd that will not look especially friendly.
Raider Nation Radio host JT the Brick has been pushing a message Raiders fans have heard before: keep the tickets in Raiders hands and do not let them end up with opposing fans. Projections suggest 64 percent of the crowd will be wearing silver and black, which would make the Chiefs contingent a little smaller than in some previous meetings, but the bigger question for Las Vegas remains the same. At Allegiant, the home crowd has had to fight to sound and feel like one for a while now. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Get A Brock Bowers Twist Right Before Chiefs Game
Brock Bowers popped up on the injury report Friday with an illness, giving the Raiders a late-week wrinkle heading into Sundays matchup with the Chiefs. The rookie tight end has quickly become one of the more important pieces of Las Vegas offense, and the timing of any concern around him is less than ideal with Kansas City on deck.
The good news for the Raiders is that Bowers is still expected to play, even after being listed questionable. He already worked through an early-season absence after a meniscus trim and came back with a strong showing in Week 3, so Las Vegas has reason to believe this latest issue is more of a brief nuisance than a real setback. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Make Intriguing Chiefs Gameday Shakeup With Young Talent Involved
Aidan OConnell is back in the mix for the Raiders on Sunday, and his return to emergency third-quarterback duty was part of a noticeable Week 4 shuffle as Las Vegas adjusted its game-day roster for the trip to face Kansas City. The bigger personnel wrinkle for the Raiders came on the defensive side, where rookie Dalton Johnson was active for the first time and stepped in at safety, giving the coaching staff a fresh look in the secondary.
Las Vegas also turned to JJ Pegues over Jonah Laulu, another sign that the Raiders were willing to make some young-player decisions on a short week of roster management. It all comes against a Chiefs team missing starting left tackle Josh Simmons, a development that could influence how the matchup unfolds up front even before the Raiders get a chance to test their own new combinations on defense. [Read more 🡒]