When the game starts tilting against the Raiders, the old script usually writes itself. That’s been the franchise’s curse for years, the kind of reputation Marty Schottenheimer used to joke about while coaching AFC West opponents.
“Let Oakland beat themselves. Just stay close and the Raiders will think of something,” Schottenheimer used to boast.
So when Las Vegas hit turbulence in Week 1 of Klint Kubiak’s regular-season debut, the real question wasn’t whether mistakes would show up. It was whether the Raiders would unravel the way they so often have.
They didn’t.
Kubiak’s chosen veteran starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, threw two costly interceptions. The kickoff coverage unit also lost its lane discipline and let Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright rip off a 79-yard return.
In the past, that kind of sequence might have sent the Raiders spinning. This time, they stayed upright.
The Dolphins, with rookie head coach Jeff Hafley, did reach the end zone after Cousins’ first interception and trimmed the Raiders’ lead to 17-13. Las Vegas answered with a five-play, 50-yard touchdown drive, helped along by Dylan Laube’s 50-yard kickoff return, and that pushed the lead back to 24-13.
Then practice-squad call-up Cody White ran down Wright to stop what looked like a kickoff-return touchdown, and defensive coordinator Rob Leonard - another rookie in his job - got enough out of his defense to force a missed field goal. The lead stayed at 27-13.
That response is what stood out.
“Yeah, that’s what we expect from our guys. Head down, no, ‘Woe is me.’
Let’s go get the ball and see what we can do,” Kubiak said in his postgame news conference Sunday afternoon. “It’s easy for a game to go the other way, and I was proud of our players, how they responded and the way the coaching staff got them ready to go for the next try.”
For a franchise that has lived through so many false starts, one good Sunday is not enough to change the story. Even in the Raiders’ dismal 2025 campaign, they opened with a strong road win over the New England Patriots in Week 1 before everything went sideways.
That stretch turned into a four-game losing streak, then a 10-game winless run from Weeks 7 through 17. So yes, this could still end up looking like another exception rather than the beginning of something real.
But that’s exactly why this mattered.
Jack Bech, who caught Las Vegas’ first touchdown of the season, said the difference felt obvious.
“I think it definitely does,” Bech said when asked whether this Week 1 win felt different from last season’s. “I think just the amount of work and amount of detail that we have is something I’ve never been a part of before. Being able to build on this, come back in tomorrow, and get right back to work-it’s going to be awesome.
“We all just can’t wait to get back in there. That’s what the guys are talking about. We came in and celebrated, but everybody’s like, ‘Let’s get better, let’s get back in there tomorrow, and let’s keep getting better, and let’s just use this as a building block for the rest of the season.'”
The next test comes fast. The Raiders go to the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday, and that trip comes with its own edge. The Chargers were upset by the Arizona Cardinals 26-14, a result that left Jim Harbaugh saying afterward that he wished he had played his starters more in the preseason, something Kubiak did more often with his own team.
The Chargers usually carry the shine in this matchup, but they’ll also be irritated after that loss. The Raiders, meanwhile, have something just as powerful: momentum, and a reminder of how good it feels to avoid folding when the game starts turning.
If Kubiak really is changing the culture, Inglewood will tell us soon enough.
In Other News...
Raiders Tight End Plans Just Got More Interesting Around Brock Bowers
Brock Bowers return timeline has become one of the more closely watched items around the Raiders offense, and it comes at a time when the position room already looks different than it did a few weeks ago. Las Vegas also locked in Michael Mayer with a contract extension, giving the team another established option at tight end while it waits to see when Bowers can get back into the mix.
The timing matters because the AFC West already showed in Week 1 how quickly tight ends can tilt a game, with Travis Kelce putting together a productive afternoon in Kansas Citys win over Denver. For the Raiders, the bigger question now is how they manage that position group in the meantime and what the offense looks like when Bowers is finally available again. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Bring A Big Week 2 Concern Into Raiders Game
A Chargers injury report that already looked crowded got a little more attention Wednesday, and the Raiders are watching it closely as the AFC West matchup approaches. Los Angeles listed several players with practice limitations or absences, including receiver Ladd McConkey, who is working through a rib injury after not practicing, while Teair Tart, Elijah Molden and Trey Pipkins III also showed up with their own issues.
Jim Harbaugh left McConkeys status unresolved for Week 2, which matters because any uncertainty around a key pass-catching option can change how Los Angeles shapes its game plan. For the Raiders, it adds another layer to a divisional meeting that already had enough intrigue, with the injury report now becoming a potential factor before the teams even take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Carry Real Pressure Into Their First AFC West Test
The Raiders walked out of Week 1 with a win over the Dolphins and a little more credibility than they had seven days earlier, thanks in part to the kind of early contributions that new coach Klint Kubiak was hoping to see. Ashton Jeanty and Kirk Cousins both stood out in a game that suggested Las Vegas may have taken real steps forward on offense, while the defense also looked sharper with its new additions making an early impact.
Now comes the first true AFC West test, and it arrives at a tricky moment for the Chargers after an upset loss of their own. For Las Vegas, the opener bought some breathing room, but it also raised the standard, because a divisional game like this tends to say more about a team than a season opener ever can. The Raiders no longer just get to talk about progress under Kubiak, they have to show it against a familiar opponent that will be looking to answer back. [Read more 🡒]