The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, and Sunday’s road win over the New Orleans Saints had the kind of edge that changes how a team feels about itself.
Down 11 in the third quarter and staring at trouble after a rough start to the second half, Klint Kubiak’s team didn’t fold. The Raiders dug out of the hole and beat the Saints 35-27, a gritty comeback that kept them unbeaten to open the 2026 NFL season.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t easy. But it was the kind of win teams remember when the games tighten up later in the year.
Brock Bowers was the biggest problem New Orleans couldn’t solve. He caught 10 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, and the Saints never found a real answer for him.
He kept moving the chains, stretched the offense into dangerous territory and made the whole unit look more dangerous. The more he produces, the more space opens for everyone else in Las Vegas.
Kirk Cousins also kept doing what he has done through the first three weeks. He threw three touchdown passes again, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes in each of his first three games with a new team.
He finished 66.7% passing for 248 yards. He did take sacks and still has to clean up the ball security, but the production is there, and it is helping drive these wins.
The Raiders’ defense had a shaky stretch in the middle of the game, giving up touchdowns on four of five possessions after opening with a three-and-out. But Rob Leonard’s group finished strong in a huge way.
The Saints’ final five drives ended in this sequence: Punt, Fumble, Interception, Fumble, Fumble. That’s four straight takeaways to close the game, with another turnover wiped out.
That late surge flipped the whole night.
Nakobe Dean was all over the field again. He led the game with 12 tackles, 11 of them solo, and added a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and two forced fumbles. Through three games, he has become the kind of veteran addition that changes the feel of a defense.
Malcolm Koonce made his presence felt too. He posted a sack, a quarterback hit, three stops and a key forced fumble in the fourth quarter. On a day when the Raiders’ pass rush wasn’t overwhelming, he stood out.
After the way this one unfolded, the biggest takeaway is simple: this team keeps finding answers. Las Vegas trailed 27-16 after the second-half collapse, but it answered with 19 unanswered points and earned its first comeback win of the season.
A month ago, a 3-0 start would have sounded far-fetched. Now the Raiders have it, and they’re beginning to look like more than just a team rebuilding on the fly.
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Raiders Win Streak Cant Hide One Defensive Concern
The Raiders third straight win came with plenty to like from a roster that is starting to find its rhythm. Kicker Gay supplied nine points in the first half, linebacker Dean helped keep the Saints from getting comfortable on the ground, and tight end Bowers kept the offense moving with seven catches for 87 yards before halftime.
Still, the tape left at least one uneasy note for a defense that has otherwise benefited from the winning run. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had a rough afternoon against New Orleans, and rookie Masses also ran into problems in coverage on Chris Olave, a reminder that even while the results are stacking up, there are still vulnerable spots for opponents to attack. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Just Exposed One Problem That Could Matter Vs Chiefs
Las Vegas kept its momentum rolling with a 35-27 win over the Saints, and the third straight victory has made the early shift under Klint Kubiak look increasingly real. Brock Bowers remains the kind of weapon the offense can lean on, giving the Raiders a centerpiece who changes how defenses have to play them and helps keep the whole unit moving with more confidence.
Even with the offense trending up, the defensive side still has a wrinkle worth watching as the schedule tightens. Isaiah Pola-Maos performance against New Orleans spotlighted a spot that opponents can press, and the possible return of Treydan Stukes adds another layer to how Las Vegas may try to patch things before a matchup with the Chiefs brings a much sharper test. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Just Made An Early Statement Fans Will Bring Into Chiefs Week
A fast start to the season can change the mood around a team quickly, and the Raiders just gave theirs a little more staying power. Las Vegas beat the Saints 35-27 to move to 3-0, a mark the franchise has reached only one other time since 2002, and it did so after digging out from a third-quarter deficit.
Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, Brock Bowers made his 2026 debut with a touchdown, and the game wound up matching an NFL record with six scoring catches by tight ends. The bigger takeaway for the Raiders is what came after the break, when they flipped the game by forcing four fourth-quarter turnovers, the kind of surge that will linger once Chiefs week arrives. [Read more 🡒]