The Raiders’ season opener against the Dolphins gave Las Vegas something it hasn’t had enough of in recent years: a game that felt under control.
After a months-long offseason of roster changes and coaching turnover, the 2026 Raiders finally got on the field Sunday and backed up the growing optimism around the team. The win over Miami wasn’t just a good start - it was the kind of performance the new coaching staff can actually build from.
A big part of that was the way the Raiders ran the offense through Jeanty. Las Vegas has spent the past three seasons fighting to get the ground game going, no matter who was carrying the load, but Sunday looked different.
Jeanty was the engine. He averaged over six yards per carry in the first half, and the Raiders as a group went for more than 70 rushing yards before halftime, with Jeanty responsible for more than half of that total.
He finished with two receiving touchdowns and over 100 total yards from scrimmage. For a player the Raiders took with the No. 6 overall pick last offseason, it was the ideal version of how to use him.
That offensive rhythm was helped by a line that looked a whole lot sturdier than the group Las Vegas rolled out a year ago. Tyler Linderbaum and Spencer Burford made immediate impact additions, and the results showed up fast: Jeanty had nearly 50 rushing yards before the halfway point of the second quarter, and Cousins wasn’t sacked at all. That matters for a team that allowed the most sacks in the league last season and finished with the fewest rushing yards in the league.
The Raiders also did something their defense has too often failed to do: get off the field on third down. Miami had trouble sustaining drives in the first half, and Las Vegas kept the pressure on after the break. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the Dolphins had converted only two of their six third-down chances.
That early defensive work fed directly into how the game unfolded. Las Vegas stopped Miami on the Dolphins’ first two possessions, then turned those takeaways in momentum into points with a touchdown and a field goal.
From there, the Raiders dictated the pace with long drives, efficient runs, and completions at the right time. Even when Miami put points on the board, Las Vegas was still the team setting the terms.
There were individual bright spots on defense, too. Fatukasi, a late signing after training camp began, has already carved out a real role and climbed to second on the depth chart at his position in a short span. Starting against the Dolphins was another step for the veteran defensive lineman, and it underscored how much the Raiders like what they have in the middle of that defensive front.
Special teams chipped in as well. Laube delivered a major boost in the return game, averaging nearly 50 yards per punt return and repeatedly giving the Raiders strong field position. Those returns helped set up scoring chances, and that kind of hidden yardage can swing games in a hurry if it keeps up.
Not every note was about a player on the field. Pegues, a draft pick from last offseason, was inactive despite being part of a deep and even deeper-looking interior defensive line group after this offseason’s additions. It probably says more about the amount of talent Las Vegas has collected up front than anything else, but it’s still a noteworthy Week 1 decision for a player the team believes can help down the line.
For the Raiders, Sunday wasn’t just a win. It was proof that the offseason changes can translate into something real once the games count.
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Kirk Cousins Just Gave Raiders Fans Real Hope At Quarterback
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For a team staring at a difficult stretch ahead, that kind of competence matters. The plan has been straightforward from the start, with Cousins expected to provide solid play for part of the season while Mendoza gets his footing, but early wins have a way of changing the temperature around a season and making the quarterback conversation feel a little less settled than it did in the summer. [Read more 🡒]