The Las Vegas Raiders don’t just need a win on Sunday against the New York Jets. They need one to keep this season from sliding off the rails.
Las Vegas has lost four straight, and another defeat would leave the Raiders at 3-5 heading into a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. With the trade deadline also looming, the pressure around this game is about more than one result - it could shape everything that comes next.
A fifth consecutive loss would leave the Raiders in a dangerous spot in the AFC picture. They are already grouped with teams that have at least three losses, and their playoff chances are shrinking fast. What looked like a realistic aspiration after the first three weeks would be hanging by a thread, especially with the schedule tightening up.
Quarterback is another layer to this. Head coach Klint Kubiak said this week that there is no controversy at the position and that Cousins remains the starter. But that stance could get harder to defend if the losses keep piling up, particularly if the Raiders fall to a Jets team that just lost to the hapless Dolphins.
Cousins has not been the problem. The 38-year-old has thrown for 1,877 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 62.6 percent of his passes.
Still, the longer the Raiders go without winning, the louder the pressure will get for Fernando Mendoza to get a shot. The team has stressed patience with the rookie, but that patience only stretches so far when the losses keep coming.
Then there’s the deadline calendar. Nov. 10 is close enough that front offices are starting to sort themselves into buyers and sellers, and Las Vegas is stuck in the middle. The Raiders are still technically in the playoff mix, but their postseason hopes are fragile enough that Sunday’s result could change their entire direction.
If they lose again, the team’s hand could be forced. That would mean taking calls on several players, including Maxx Crosby.
If the Raiders want any realistic chance at turning this into something nobody saw coming before the season, beating the Jets is no longer optional. It is the game that can bring some clarity to where this team is headed.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Have A New Trade Deadline Concern With JPJ
With the November 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Raiders suddenly have more than one name floating around in the rumor mill. Jackson Powers-Johnson has become part of that conversation after landing on the injury report with a back issue, adding another layer to a week already filled with speculation about which veterans and young pieces could be in play if Las Vegas decides to listen.
The chatter has not been limited to one player, either, with Isaiah Pola-Mao, Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins also mentioned as possible trade candidates depending on how the season and the coaching situation unfold. For Raiders fans, the concern is less about a single rumor than the larger question of whether the front office views this roster as one worth holding together, or one that could be reshaped before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Depth Chart Reveals Where This Skid Is Really Hurting
The Raiders are keeping their Week 8 depth chart largely intact even as a four-game losing streak has put a spotlight on where the roster is feeling the strain. The lack of movement suggests the staff still believes the answers are in-house, even if the on-field results have made it clear the team needs cleaner play and more consistency on both sides of the ball.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said the staff adjusts practice routines every week to help the team improve, and this one has clearly been aimed at tightening up the details. With the offense still searching for more production and the defense looking for steadier execution, the next stretch will show whether those weekly tweaks can start to matter in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Could Get Needed Help Back With One Big Role Question
Jack Bech is back in the conversation for the Raiders at a time when they could use another dependable body at wide receiver. The rookie has already built a reputation inside the building for his energy, work habits and willingness to block in the run game, traits that tend to earn trust quickly in a room where every role matters. After missing time with a broken arm, he is again eligible to return, which gives Las Vegas another option as it tries to sort out its passing-game rotation.
Klint Kubiak has left the door open for Bech to play against the Jets, but the bigger question is how much of a role he can handle right away. For a Raiders offense looking for help, simply getting him back on the field would matter, yet the real intrigue is whether his return comes with a meaningful workload or just a limited first step back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]