The Raiders’ 3-1 start has bought them some breathing room, but the next month is going to say a lot more about this team than the first four weeks did.
Las Vegas opened the season with a hot run, then took its first loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. Inside the building, though, that defeat hasn’t been treated like some major turning point. The Raiders have handled it as part of the first quarter of the season, another step in the process rather than a reason to panic.
That mindset matters now, because the schedule is about to get real. The Chiefs started a stretch that will help define what the Raiders actually are, and what their ceiling looks like.
After Sunday’s matchup with the New England Patriots, Las Vegas still has the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams ahead. That’s a brutal four-game run for anybody.
For now, the Raiders are trying to keep the focus narrow. Klint Kubiak and his staff have continued to stress the same message: one day at a time, one game at a time. That approach has been a constant since training camp, and it doesn’t sound like it’s changing no matter what happens Sunday.
The Patriots bring their own problems. They’re 2-2, but they also went into Buffalo and beat the Bills last week, which tells you plenty about the challenge in front of the Raiders. Sunday is another chance for Las Vegas to show that its early success was real growth, not just a fast start.
A big reason the Raiders have been able to hang around has been the defense. Rob Leonard pointed to the way his group has handled the emotional swings of a game and stayed steady through it all.
“That's what good teams do is stay emotionally and consistent, consistent to the process, no emotional highs. Our team's done a great job, especially defensively on the sideline,” Leonard said.
“I think you can feel that within a game of not riding the highs and knowing that we got to reset in between series. Whether you gave up a score or getting back to it or having a takeaway. The energy is real during a game, and I think our guys have been really consistent, locked in together."
Andrew Janocko described the offensive side with a similar message. The standard, he said, is to move straight to the next day and dig into everything, no matter whether the previous game ended in a win or a loss.
"It's next up, next day mentality. We have another game coming, so you win, you lose.
Either way, you got to evaluate the next day. So, when you come back into the office the next day, whether it's a win or lose, you're trying to scrutinize every part of the plan, every technique we use,” Janocko said.
“Whether it's sometimes wins, you can even be more critical. But you want to be uber critical of yourself, uber critical of what you're doing, so you can fix mistakes and build on the stuff you're doing well."
That approach has helped create a different feel around the team. The Raiders have had their share of weekly swings in recent seasons, but this new staff is trying to build something more even-keeled. The first few practices this week reportedly looked a lot like everything else since camp began.
That consistency is going to be tested now. The Raiders sit in a good spot entering the second quarter of the season, but the coming month could determine whether this start means something bigger.
Their loss to the Chiefs exposed areas that need work, even if early wins may have hidden some of them. The answer will come in how they respond.
For Las Vegas, the next game really is the only one that matters. And after Week 5, the stretch that follows will tell the rest of the story.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Are Noticing One Kubiak Habit That Says A Lot
Klint Kubiaks sideline routine has already become one of the more talked-about parts of his early run with the Raiders, and it is not just because of the way he prepares. The new coach is known for bringing a meticulous approach to the job, but fans also have started noticing the faith-based touches that show up around him, a reminder that his coaching identity is rooted in more than just game planning.
During a recent game, Kubiak was spotted with AMDG on his playsheet, an acronym often used for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, which points to the religious convictions that shape how he works and carries himself. It is the latest detail to draw attention to a habit that has followed him into Las Vegas after a similar gesture with the Seahawks, and it adds another layer to a coach whose presence already has people watching closely for what he does next. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Rogers Is Quietly Shaping A Raiders Culture Fans Will Notice
While much of the attention around the Raiders has centered on line play and weekly lineups, Caleb Rogers has been building a different kind of presence in his second season. The guard has been active in supporting teammates through his faith and constant encouragement, even leaving notes for them, a small but telling sign of the tone he is trying to set inside the locker room.
Rogers has also been on the field enough to matter, logging 89 offensive snaps this season and showing real strength as a run blocker. The challenge has come in pass protection, where he has struggled at times, including a recent game against the Chiefs in which he gave up multiple quarterback pressures. For a Raiders team trying to find both steadiness and identity up front, Rogers remains an intriguing part of the conversation on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans May Not Love This Tom Brady Front Office Debate
Tom Bradys move into the Raiders ownership picture already made him one of the most intriguing figures around the franchise, but the debate over how involved hell be in the front office has only sharpened since his retirement. Around the league, Brady and Matt Ryan are being compared as former quarterbacks who have stepped into executive roles, with Ryan now serving as the Falcons president of football and Brady balancing his Raiders stake with other commitments.
According to a coach cited by Mike Florio, Ryan is viewed as the more fully committed and potentially more impactful of the two because he has thrown himself entirely into that job. Brady, by contrast, is seen as having divided interests, which is the kind of assessment that could sit uneasily with Raiders fans hoping his influence will translate into a sharper football operation. [Read more 🡒]