The Raiders walked out of Week 5 with the kind of performance that makes a rebuild feel very real. On the road against the New England Patriots, Las Vegas got hit from the opening snap and never really steadied itself. The result fit the larger picture, too: this is a team in the early stages of a reset, and that hasn’t changed.
That reality matters because the next stretch is brutal. Sunday’s loss to New England came after a defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Raiders now move on to games against the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. Against that level of competition, the issues have been hard to hide.
At quarterback, the message is becoming pretty clear. What the Raiders are getting from Kirk Cousins is what they’re going to get for the rest of the season.
The first three games were the high end of the range with Cousins under center, and that was already more than they’ve had over the last three seasons. Against top defenses, though, the last two games have shown the limits.
Fernando Mendoza’s lone drive against the Patriots offered a small peek at something different. Yes, it came in a blowout, and yes, it came against a defense that wasn’t pushing the same pressure level Cousins faced.
Still, the offense looked smoother with Mendoza in the game. He had the same receivers, the same line, the same problems around him, but the ball came out cleaner and quicker.
There was also a sense that if the pocket collapsed, he could still create.
Cousins brings experience. Mendoza brings mobility.
Neither one has both, and the veteran will remain the starter for now. Even so, Mendoza’s brief stint suggested a path forward.
He can help with quick scrambles, force defenses to pull bodies out of the box, and maybe ease some of the strain on a run game that has gone nowhere. He’ll have growing pains, but those growing pains may matter more to the organization.
The rushing attack had another rough afternoon, though part of that is tied to how little opposing defenses fear the Raiders through the air. Las Vegas entered Week 5 missing two starting receivers, which only made the challenge harder. Even so, the bigger issue is that defenses don’t have much reason to respect Cousins’ arm or his movement, and that lets them crowd the box and attack the pocket.
That creates the kind of loop the Raiders keep running into: the line struggles because the quarterback has nowhere to go, the run game stalls because defenses can load up, and the passing game stays stuck because receivers aren’t separating fast enough. Cousins did show against the Chiefs that he can help matters by moving around the pocket - he threw it 52 times in that game and wasn’t sacked once - but he has to do that consistently. If he can’t, the offense stays boxed in.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders at least had one of their brighter position groups, and probably their most reliable one overall. That unit also dealt with injuries and still has work to do.
The defensive backfield is looking more vulnerable without steady pressure up front. The better teams are starting to show what was easier to miss in the first three weeks. More rebuilding is probably needed there, and it may take another offseason or two before the group is fully where it needs to be.
The linebackers were not as bad as they looked against New England, but that doesn’t change the bigger issue. When receivers are running wide open downfield and running backs aren’t being contacted until they get to the second level, the linebackers can only do so much.
Special teams provided one of the few clean parts of the day. Cole punted four times and averaged nearly 50 yards per kick. Matt Gay missed his first field goal attempt, and that miss before halftime handed the Patriots the ball in scoring range.
That phase may have been the Raiders’ best of the season so far. Deven Thompkins made his case for more work there, and maybe even at wide receiver, after delivering one of the team’s better punt returns of the year.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Question Before Bills Week
Fernando Mendoza finally got his first NFL snaps in Week 5, and the rookie quarterback made a quick impression in limited work, going 6-for-8 for 48 yards on a late drive. It was only a cameo, but it was enough to turn a routine week for the quarterback room into something worth watching as the Raiders move toward a matchup with the Bills.
Kirk Cousins has handled the job through the first five games, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,269 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, but head coach Klint Kubiak opened the door to a possible change this week. For a team still trying to settle its offensive identity, the question now is whether Mendozas first taste of action was just a spot appearance or the beginning of a much bigger conversation in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Run Game Issues Put Klint Kubiak On The Spot
Klint Kubiak did not try to soften the conversation around the Raiders run game when he met with reporters, acknowledging the offense has work to do after another stretch of frustrating results on the ground. The head coach pointed to Ashton Jeantys drops and the way the offensive line has performed, making it clear those issues have become part of a larger offensive concern rather than isolated mistakes.
Kubiak also touched on rookie Mike Washington Jr. and why his role has remained limited, while explaining the decision to go with another player on a key fourth-quarter snap. The bigger takeaway was the same one hanging over Las Vegas all along: the Raiders have to sort out both personnel and coaching approaches if they want the run game to become dependable again. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Sends Mixed Message On Broncos Offense After Big Change
The Broncos are still sorting through the ripple effects of their recent change in offensive playcalling, and Sean Paytons comments landed somewhere between patient and pointed. He acknowledged the challenges the move has created, but he also made a point of praising the way his players have handled the transition, a sign that Denver is trying to steady itself while the offense works through a reset.
For the Raiders, the attention shifts to quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whose NFL debut came in late relief during a blowout loss to the Patriots. He finished 6 of 8 for 48 yards, a small sample that at least offered a first look at what he can do, even if it arrived under difficult circumstances. Head coach Klint Kubiak said there will be no change to the Raiders starters, leaving Mendozas next step tied more to development than any immediate shake-up. [Read more 🡒]