A month into the season, the Raiders have already made one thing clear: they’re ahead of schedule.
At 3-1, Las Vegas has spent the opening stretch of the year blowing past expectations. Kirk Cousins has given the offense a calm veteran hand at quarterback, and the defense has built an identity around hunting the ball and making plays. That combination has pushed the Raiders into a place where a playoff berth doesn’t feel far-fetched anymore.
Still, Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was a reminder that this group is not finished yet. The Raiders have found ways to win early, but they also came out of that game with a sharper sense of where the rough edges still are.
The biggest issue sits in the run game. Klint Kubiak may want the offense to be built on the ground, but the numbers tell a different story.
The Raiders enter the Week Five slate last in the NFL with 3.1 yards per carry. It’s the one clear weak spot in an offense that otherwise ranks eighth at 28.8 points per game and sits in the top half of the league at 343 yards per game.
That’s why the run game has become the missing piece. If Las Vegas can get that part moving, the rest of the offense should have a much easier time matching the talent on the roster.
“I think we just have to pay attention to our details, starting with ourselves,” said Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko on how to fix the run game.
“What we’re asking of the players, what we are attacking each game plan and presenting a great plan to the players allowing them to be detailed so they can go out and play fast and attack it. That’s what we look forward to doing.”
Even with the struggles on the ground, the Raiders have found ways to keep Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington involved. Jeanty has been active in the passing game, where he ranks second on the team with 19 receptions behind tight end Michael Mayer’s 20, and he is tied for the team lead with two touchdowns. Washington has also given the offense a useful boost, averaging five yards per carry and allowing the Raiders to keep leaning on the fourth-round rookie without overloading him.
“[Mike’s] a great player,” said Jeanty about his rookie teammate. “He runs with a great mentality, so having him come in and the defense can’t take a break, but I can take a break and catch my breath and come back in with fresh legs.”
Defensively, the Raiders still have a lot to like. They lead the league with nine takeaways and are tied for fifth with 12 sacks. But the Chiefs also exposed a few things that can be cleaned up.
Kansas City found explosive plays against the Raiders, and some of that is just the reality of facing that offense. Even so, first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard had plenty on film to study. Patrick Mahomes also got chances to test young Raiders defensive backs like Hezekiah Masses and Treydan Stukes, and Leonard said the defense still has room to turn pressure into more sacks and do a better job disrupting rhythm.
“I’m happy with the progression in the process that we’re chasing and chipping away at every day throughout the week and focusing on getting better and fixing problems and communication,” said Leonard.
“I think we’ve consistently got better and, through each game, there are things that we have to fix and, as long as we’re honest about those things, it’s been good.”
The Raiders have done enough already to force their way into the conversation. Now the task is turning that early momentum into something sturdier, something that lasts into December and beyond.
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What makes White worth watching now is how quickly he has gone from depth option to useful piece in the passing game. Over the last three games, he has caught five passes for 64 yards and three touchdowns, production that suggests he is doing more than just filling space on the depth chart. For a Raiders offense looking for reliable answers, the bigger question may be how much more of this role White can carve out as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
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John Spytek has not made a move yet, but the Raiders are at least in the mix if the right opportunity comes along. And when a team starts winning this early, the list of names around the league can shift quickly, too. Players who once looked like obvious trade chips may be harder to move now, while Las Vegas is being watched as a club that could do more than just sit back and see how the deadline unfolds. [Read more 🡒]