The Raiders’ fast start has hit a wall, and now the questions are getting louder.
Las Vegas sits at 3-2 after dropping its last two games, and that Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots was the kind of result that changes the conversation. The Raiders are still in decent shape in the AFC West, but the tone around them has shifted from surprise to skepticism in a hurry.
That wasn’t the case just a week earlier. A 3-0 start had already matched the team’s 2025 win total, and first-year head coach Klint Kubiak was drawing credit for the turnaround.
Then came Week 4, when the Raiders pushed the Kansas City Chiefs hard before falling 30-27. Even in defeat, Las Vegas earned a little more belief.
Then the Patriots handled them 45-17, and all of that momentum vanished.
Now the talk around the league is much harsher. Some are saying the Raiders have been exposed.
Others think the clock has struck midnight. Whether that judgment is fair or not, it’s the narrative Las Vegas is fighting against right now.
The good news is the injury report may soon help. Wide receiver Jalen Nailor missed the Week 5 game because of a concussion, but Kubiak said Monday that he will return to practice this week. If all goes well, he should clear concussion protocol and get back on the field.
Nailor’s numbers haven’t jumped off the page yet - he has five catches for 52 yards - but the Raiders value more than just the box score. His speed and run blocking have mattered to the offense.
There’s also progress with Dont’e Thornton Jr., who remains on injured reserve. His practice window is in its second week, and Kubiak said the team expects him to take another step forward this week. Las Vegas wants to see Thornton compete in practice and show that he’s ready.
On defense, Tonka Hemingway is in concussion protocol after leaving Sunday’s game in the first quarter.
Still, the biggest test is what comes next. The Raiders’ schedule is about to get nasty, starting in Week 6 against the 4-1 Buffalo Bills.
After that comes a meeting with the 2-3 Los Angeles Rams, then a game against the 2-3 New York Jets. After that, it’s the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers and the 3-2 Seattle Seahawks.
That stretch will answer a lot. If Las Vegas bounces back, the Patriots loss can be filed away as a bad night. If not, the doubts that surfaced this week are only going to get stronger.
In Other News...
Raiders Backfield Suddenly Has One Rising Option Fans Need To Watch
The Raiders have been searching for stability in a backfield that has been thinned by injuries and stuck near the bottom of the league in rushing production, and Dylan Laube has started to carve out a useful niche. Klint Kubiak has singled out the second-year back for his pass protection, reliability on third downs and work on special teams, which is the kind of profile that keeps a player on the field even when the ground game itself is sputtering.
Laube also got on the board in the recent loss to New England, a small but meaningful sign that his role is becoming more visible as Las Vegas looks for dependable answers in key situations. For a team still trying to sort out its backfield rotation, his usage in passing situations is the clearest thread to watch, especially if the Raiders keep leaning on him as an all-around steady hand. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Free Agent Spending Is Starting To Look Like A Real Problem
The Raiders spent the 2026 offseason with more cap room than any other team in the league, and they used it aggressively to reshape both sides of the ball. The idea was straightforward enough: bolster the defense, stabilize the offensive line and give the roster a more dependable foundation. Linebacker Nakobe Dean has looked the part, which at least gives the front office one clear success to point to, but the broader picture has not come together the way the team hoped.
Other additions have been harder to square with the investment, and the ripple effects are showing up on Sundays. The pass rush still has not fully recovered, Malcolm Koonce has not regained his prior form after injury and the ground game remains a problem, leaving the Raiders with more questions than answers from a spending spree that was supposed to solve them. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookies Just Sent Some Very Different Week 5 Messages
Week 5 was a rough one for the rookie class around the Raiders, with the group fragmented before the game even settled in against New England. Keyron Crawford landed on injured reserve, Trey Zuhn was ruled out with a knee injury and Dalton Johnson was a healthy scratch, leaving the team to piece together contributions from the first-year players who were available.
The rookies who did get on the field produced a mixed review, which only added to the sense that this was a week of uneven messages from the young core. Some showed enough to encourage the staff moving forward, while others were left trying to recover from moments that swung the game in the Patriots favor, a reminder that for this roster, development and damage can show up on the same afternoon. [Read more 🡒]