The Las Vegas Raiders took a harsh reality check in Foxborough, and it landed with a thud.
On a day when Adam Vinatieri was being honored for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, the Raiders were run off the field by the New England Patriots, 45-17. Drake Maye powered the Patriots with five touchdown passes, continuing a strong climb after a slow start, while Las Vegas left with a loss that made one thing obvious: this team still has a long way to go.
That’s the uncomfortable truth for first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. Sunday didn’t just expose a bad afternoon; it highlighted a roster and a system still in the middle of becoming what it wants to be. Youth, inexperience, new schemes and new faces on both sides of the ball all showed up in a game that quickly got away.
The early part of the season gave the Raiders a cleaner-looking picture than the one they’re facing now. They opened 3-0 against opponents that had combined for just one win, and even their last two games came against teams with only two combined losses.
They handled the games in front of them, and they were close to beating one of the NFL’s few unbeaten teams, the Kansas City Chiefs, two weeks ago. But the last two outings have made the flaws harder to ignore.
Kubiak has already owned his part of the disappointment, saying he did not put players in position to succeed in Sunday’s loss. On the other side, defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is trying to make the most of the talent on hand while also finding ways to move beyond a heavy dose of Cover 3. The challenge, as always, is that there’s only so much maneuvering you can do when the personnel is what it is.
And that personnel picture is getting clearer by the week. Wide receiver, defensive tackle, right guard and possibly left tackle all stand out as offseason needs. Kolton Miller’s situation is also worth watching, especially after a season that has not gone as well as the Raiders would have hoped and with a 2027 cap number of $20.2 million and $15.2 million in potential savings attached to him.
Sunday’s game made the receiver issue impossible to miss. The Raiders do not have a dependable answer there, and Brock Bowers, for all of his special ability, cannot keep carrying the passing game at this level.
They’ve needed a true difference-maker at receiver for some time, and the same can be said for the defensive tackle spot. The good news is that the offseason should give them a chance to address both areas.
For now, this remains a team learning on the fly. There’s no sense that general manager John Spytek will chase help at the trade deadline, and that approach makes sense unless the Raiders reach their home matchup in Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks well over .500 and in real postseason position.
Even then, the rest of the schedule could get rough before it gets better. Raiders fans may need to steel themselves for another blowout or two over the next seven weeks. But in a rebuild, these are the kinds of lessons that come fast and hard, and the bigger-picture early results still leave reason for encouragement.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Question Before Bills Week
Fernando Mendoza finally got his first NFL snaps in Week 5, and the rookie quarterback made a quick impression in limited work, going 6-for-8 for 48 yards on a late drive. It was only a cameo, but it was enough to turn a routine week for the quarterback room into something worth watching as the Raiders move toward a matchup with the Bills.
Kirk Cousins has handled the job through the first five games, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,269 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, but head coach Klint Kubiak opened the door to a possible change this week. For a team still trying to settle its offensive identity, the question now is whether Mendozas first taste of action was just a spot appearance or the beginning of a much bigger conversation in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Run Game Issues Put Klint Kubiak On The Spot
Klint Kubiak did not try to soften the conversation around the Raiders run game when he met with reporters, acknowledging the offense has work to do after another stretch of frustrating results on the ground. The head coach pointed to Ashton Jeantys drops and the way the offensive line has performed, making it clear those issues have become part of a larger offensive concern rather than isolated mistakes.
Kubiak also touched on rookie Mike Washington Jr. and why his role has remained limited, while explaining the decision to go with another player on a key fourth-quarter snap. The bigger takeaway was the same one hanging over Las Vegas all along: the Raiders have to sort out both personnel and coaching approaches if they want the run game to become dependable again. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Sends Mixed Message On Broncos Offense After Big Change
The Broncos are still sorting through the ripple effects of their recent change in offensive playcalling, and Sean Paytons comments landed somewhere between patient and pointed. He acknowledged the challenges the move has created, but he also made a point of praising the way his players have handled the transition, a sign that Denver is trying to steady itself while the offense works through a reset.
For the Raiders, the attention shifts to quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whose NFL debut came in late relief during a blowout loss to the Patriots. He finished 6 of 8 for 48 yards, a small sample that at least offered a first look at what he can do, even if it arrived under difficult circumstances. Head coach Klint Kubiak said there will be no change to the Raiders starters, leaving Mendozas next step tied more to development than any immediate shake-up. [Read more 🡒]