Things are starting to feel familiar again for the Raiders.
After that 3-0 opening that hinted at something better in Las Vegas, the slide has come fast. Sunday brought another one of those frustrating afternoons the Raiders know too well, a 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium that dropped them to 3-3 and sent them to their third straight defeat.
The details were the kind that have haunted this team before: penalties at the worst possible moments, missed tackles, a turnover that flipped the flow of the game, field goals where touchdowns were needed, and a crowd that wasn’t nearly as pro-Raiders as the building’s nickname suggests.
“Very disappointed, very disappointed that we didn’t get it done today,” said head coach Klint Kubiak. “As a team, we didn’t close the game. We’re not satisfied.”
Bills fans showed up in force and made their presence known from the start. Allegiant Stadium felt more like a Buffalo outpost than a home field, and even the trip into town reflected it. On the Sunday morning flight from Oakland, Raiders and Bills fans split the cabin pretty evenly, and the tension stayed low enough that everyone got to Reid International Airport in one piece.
That scene fit right in with what Raiders fans have seen before whenever the Chiefs, Broncos, or Steelers come through. The red, orange, or black and gold takeover isn’t new. Sunday, it was just Buffalo’s turn.
And when the game started tilting late, the Raiders were left to relive the same old script.
“We need to play for four quarters,” Kubiak said. “I’m really upset with how we’re starting the third quarter. You can’t go three-and-out.
"The penalties on fourth-and-1 are killing us, just killing us."”
The Raiders did have their chances. Kirk Cousins finished with 313 passing yards, outgaining Josh Allen, who threw for 255 yards and two scores on 23-of-33 passing while adding just one rushing yard. But the bigger plays belonged to Buffalo when it mattered most.
Cousins also had the kind of mistake that changes everything, throwing a costly interception in the third quarter that led to a Bills touchdown. Earlier, a false start on fourth-and-1 at the Buffalo 13 turned a prime red-zone chance into a much less threatening possession, and the Raiders ended up settling for a Matt Gay field goal.
That was the difference between chasing points and cashing in.
The offense never fully found its rhythm. Brock Bowers didn’t make much of an impact until late, and the ground game stayed stuck. Ashton Jeanty finished with 22 rushing yards, though he added four catches for 36 yards and appeared to be moving well.
Buffalo also found enough through the air and enough on the ground - even without a big day from Allen as a runner - to keep the Raiders on their heels. The Bills drew 62 yards in penalties, but some of those flags only helped them extend drives and stay in control of the game’s key moments.
Cousins said the frustration runs deep.
“It’s hard to sleep after games like that,” Cousins said. “It’s about taking advantage of the opportunities you get. We’ve got to find the inches in the fourth quarter.
“You can’t go 2 of 5 in the red zone. You can’t throw an interception and give them a short field.”
It’s the kind of loss that looks a lot like the ones Raiders fans have watched for years: close enough to make it hurt, sloppy enough to make the ending feel inevitable.
For Kubiak, the message was simple.
“Close games out,” he said.
In Other News...
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Klint Kubiaks halftime act has become a small but noticeable part of the Raiders weekly conversation. The first-year head coach has kept his answers short on the broadcast set this season, including during a recent tied game against the Bills, and the style has split the audience in the way only NFL media moments can.
Some fans have taken it as a sign that Kubiak is focused and uninterested in the usual coach-speak, while others see it as needlessly curt. The scrutiny has only grown because his brief halftime appearances are now drawing attention beyond Las Vegas, turning what should be a routine interview into one more flashpoint around a team already under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
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Fernando Mendozas presence only adds another layer to the conversation, because the Raiders are trying to balance a veteran bridge option with the longer view of developing a rookie. Some fans are already mapping out when they would like to see Mendoza get a look later in the season, which tells you how quickly the conversation can shift if the offense stalls again. For now, though, the split is less about one player being the answer and more about how long the Raiders should keep waiting before making a bigger move. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Showed Fight But One Big Decision Still Looms
The Raiders were beaten 33-30 by the Bills, but the showing looked a lot more like a team trying to fight its way back into form than the group that had just been overrun by the Patriots. Maxx Crosby again set the tone on defense, and the overall effort gave Las Vegas something it had been missing, even as the offense continued to leave points on the field and the run game from Ashton Jeanty still struggled to generate much traction.
The bigger question now sits under center, where Kirk Cousins remains part of the discussion while the team weighs its next move. The offensive guard spot is still unsettled, too, which only adds to the pressure on an offense already trying to get more from its talent, and the Raiders may not be able to keep kicking that quarterback decision down the road much longer. [Read more 🡒]