Maybe the Raiders aren’t the easy target plenty of people made them out to be.
Through two weeks, Las Vegas has already started to look like a team with real bite, not just a roster hanging around at the bottom of the league. The offseason overhaul mattered. The franchise brought in a completely new coaching staff and spent the spring patching holes across the roster, and the early results are showing up on both sides of the ball.
The defense, in particular, has come out swinging. Right now, the Raiders are tied for the league lead in sacks, and this isn’t a one-man show anymore.
Maxx Crosby is back to looking like himself, but he’s getting help. Kwity Paye has already stacked up two sacks and three tackles for loss, while Malcolm Koonce is starting to resemble the player he was before the injury, flashing the first step and bend that made him such a tough edge rusher in the first place.
That kind of depth changes everything. The best defensive fronts don’t just rely on one star to wreck a game; they keep coming from multiple angles, and Las Vegas finally looks capable of doing that.
The offense has been easier to overlook, especially with Brock Bowers missing the first two games, but it hasn’t been short on playmakers. Tre Tucker has shown how dangerous he can be when he gets separation, and Ashton Jeanty has emerged as a real receiving threat out of the backfield. That gives the Raiders a mix of speed and versatility that’s tough to handle, especially when paired with one of the best tight ends in football.
There were doubts about whether Kirk Cousins had enough arm strength to really stretch the field with those weapons. He answered those questions in Week 2.
The bigger picture is even more interesting. The Raiders still project to be better once Fernando Mendoza takes over at quarterback, and for now Cousins has kept the ship steady while adding wins. If he can clean up the interceptions, the ceiling in 2026 gets a lot higher.
For a team many expected to struggle again, Las Vegas already looks far more dangerous than advertised. And with Bowers on the way back, the offense may not have shown its best version yet.
In Other News...
Maxx Crosby Weighed In As Caleb Williams Injury Backlash Grew
Caleb Williams hamstring injury in Week 2 against the Vikings quickly became bigger than a simple quarterback health update, especially once he was carted off the field and Chicago began sorting through the early fallout. Bears coach Ben Johnson has already described Williams as week-to-week, but the conversation around the injury shifted almost immediately into scrutiny over how the quarterback handled the moment and what it might mean for his return.
Maxx Crosby jumped into that debate by publicly defending Williams as the backlash grew, offering a notable voice from outside Chicagos building. For the Raiders, it is another reminder of how closely the league watches young quarterbacks under pressure, and how fast a routine injury report can turn into a much broader conversation about toughness, perception and recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookie Class Is Already Creating One Early Separation
The Raiders got an early look at a sizable chunk of their 2026 draft class in Week 2 against the Chargers, and the first two games of the season have already started to sort out who is making noise and who is still looking for a foothold. Six rookies saw the field in that matchup, giving the coaching staff a useful snapshot of how the class is translating from offseason promise to real-game responsibility.
Zeke Masses has clearly put himself in the conversation after a standout defensive showing that included two interceptions, while some of the other first-year players had more limited impact as the evaluation process continues. It is still very early, but the first two weeks have given the Raiders an initial read on which newcomers are already carving out roles and which ones will need more time before the picture gets clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Just Added An Unexpected Twist To His Future
Fernando Mendoza is already making a name for himself in Las Vegas beyond the huddle. The Raiders quarterback, formerly of Indiana, has launched a new series called "Finance with Fernando," a project aimed at helping people learn the basics of financial responsibility. It fits neatly with the off-field interests Mendoza has shown for some time, including a clear emphasis on finance and business in his LinkedIn profile and his academic background in business administration.
For the Raiders, the timing adds another layer to a player they view as a potential future face of the franchise. Mendoza is expected to spend much of his first NFL season in a backup role, but he is already building a profile that extends well past the depth chart. If his on-field rise takes time, his off-field brand is moving fast, and Las Vegas has a young quarterback whose path may be unfolding in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]