A week after getting embarrassed in Foxborough, the Las Vegas Raiders get a shot to show they can hang with one of the NFL’s heavyweights at home against the Buffalo Bills.
That loss to the New England Patriots did not look like the same team that opened 3-1 and pushed the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs to the edge. It was a reminder that the Raiders are still nowhere near the top tier in the AFC, let alone the league.
But this isn’t a team that has looked hopeless across the board. Four of their last five games have shown a group that can compete with good opponents, and Sunday gives them another chance to prove it.
Buffalo brings a different kind of test. The Bills are one of the league’s measuring sticks, sitting just behind the Chiefs as one of the NFL’s standards and faces.
They also made a major change by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach to lead 2024 league MVP Josh Allen in his prime. Allen has been the best quarterback in football for at least the last year and a half, and slowing him down is a nightmare because of the full package he brings: rare athleticism, arm talent and football intelligence.
For Las Vegas, the question starts with whether it can even dent Allen’s rhythm. That task gets tougher with rookie starters Hezekiah Masses and Treydan Stukes lining up at cornerback and safety, respectively. Still, the defense has been impressive since Week 5, and a big part of that has been the work of defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
The matchup also opens a door for the Raiders on the other side of the ball. Buffalo’s pass defense has been one of the worst in the NFL through five weeks, and that gives Las Vegas a real chance to bounce back after a rough day against New England. The Bills have been in plenty of shootouts this season, and their shaky coverage can give the Raiders an opening if they take advantage of it.
Head coach Klint Kubiak also deserves credit for taking responsibility this week, particularly for not putting his team in the best position to succeed when the game got away from them against the Patriots. That accountability matters, especially for players who didn’t get enough chances once Las Vegas fell behind early.
Brock Bowers will still be the Raiders’ top option in the passing game, but the wide receivers have to contribute in a meaningful way here. This feels like the cleanest chance they’ve had to exploit a weakness in a top opponent, and doing that would go a long way toward earning a convincing win.
Even so, a blowout celebration at Allegiant Stadium feels like a stretch. The bigger objective over what could be the toughest seven-game run any team faces in the NFL is simpler than that: stay in the fight and cash in when the moment is there. On Sunday, the Raiders have a chance to do exactly that.
In Other News...
Raiders Could Fix Their O-Line Problem At A Price Few Want
The Raiders still have a clear hole at left guard, and the idea of patching it with a proven star is easy to understand. Quenton Nelson remains one of the leagues most decorated interior linemen, and with contract talks in Indianapolis still going nowhere, his name has started to hover over any team looking for an immediate upgrade up front. For a Las Vegas roster still trying to build itself back into something sturdier, the appeal is obvious: fix one of the lines most important spots with a player who has already shown he can anchor a front.
The harder part is the cost, and that is where the conversation gets tricky for a rebuilding team. Trading for Nelson would almost certainly mean surrendering meaningful draft capital and then committing to a major contract on top of it, the kind of move that can reshape a roster before it fully matures. For the Raiders, the question is not whether Nelson would help, but whether chasing that help now is worth giving up the picks and flexibility they may need to keep developing the younger pieces around him. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Need More Than Brock Bowers In Kubiaks Early Test
Klint Kubiak has made it clear early in his Raiders tenure that the passing game cannot lean on Brock Bowers alone. The coach has been pushing for more production from the wide receivers to help balance the offense, and he has already started pointing to names beyond the tight end room as part of that solution. Dont'e Thornton Jr. earned a specific mention for his conditioning and his work in the meeting room, the kind of detail that usually signals a player is doing more than just showing up to practice.
Jalen Nailor has also caught Kubiak's attention as a playmaker, and the staff believes he can be part of what helps this offense move forward. The broader idea is simple enough: spread the ball around more, get the wideouts involved earlier in drives and ease the pressure on Bowers, who has been asked to shoulder a heavy share of the offense. How quickly that redistribution happens, and who benefits most when the game plan starts taking shape, will be one of the more interesting early tests for Kubiak. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans May Wait Longer Than Expected For Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza has already shown up in an NFL game in a limited role, but the Raiders do not appear ready to hand him the offense just yet. Las Vegas is 3-2 entering Week 6, and Kirk Cousins is still holding onto the starting job as the team navigates a season that has stayed competitive early.
One analyst, Brad Gagnon, thinks the wait could stretch well past the immediate future, pointing to the way the schedule lines up over the next several weeks. The Raiders are staring at a difficult run that includes the Rams, Jets, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos, which makes it harder to imagine a clean opening for Mendoza to take over anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]