The Raiders’ 3-0 start gave real shape to the overhaul they made in the offseason. New coaches, new pieces, new energy - and for a minute, it looked like Las Vegas had moved fast enough to matter right away.
But the last two weeks have been a hard reminder that this team is still climbing, not arrived. The losses to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4 and the New England Patriots in Week 5 exposed the gap that still separates the Raiders from the league’s top tier.
Klint Kubiak didn’t sugarcoat what happened against New England.
“Obviously, yesterday was not up to our standard. It's not what we want our football look like.
We have a whole lot to prove to ourselves and our fans this week. Really looking forward to playing in front of our fans this week.
And our men, our leadership, our coaches, we're up to the challenge, and we have to bounce back,” Kubiak said the day after the game.
That loss also served as a rough measuring stick for the younger Raiders who are supposed to be part of the long-term core. The team has spent the last two offseasons adding draft picks it believes can grow into major roles, and a handful of those players were forced into heavy work early.
Against the Patriots, their day was mostly ugly. A few stood out anyway.
Mendoza was the clearest bright spot among the rookies and sophomores. The Raiders waited until the game was out of reach before putting him in, which gave him a clean first look in meaningful regular-season action.
He handled it well enough, completing his first five passes in a row on the way to six completions on eight attempts. The snaps didn’t change the result, but they did show what he can offer.
He may already be the player who gives Las Vegas its best shot against elite opponents.
Porter also had some useful moments in a game that offered very few of them. He gave up a few plays, but he also made a few solid ones and came away with what was arguably the least-worst performance from any Raiders rookie or sophomore in the loss.
Jeanty’s path has been tougher. He produced a franchise rookie record for scrimmage yards while playing behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines in his first season, then dealt with an ankle injury shortly before this regular season began.
Between the injury and the issues elsewhere on offense, he has been stuck in a difficult spot. Even so, the second-year back is still helping keep the passing game afloat.
Kubiak said the team continues to manage Jeanty’s health carefully.
“It's just a weekly thing that we're battling with him, with his teammates. I have a ton of confidence in our training staff.
They do a great job of getting our guys available for the game and continuing to get them healthy, whether it's Ashton [Jeanty] or anybody on the roster. A lot of guys are beat up, it's that time of the year, and it's up to us at the end of the day to make the decision if they can go or not," Kubiak said.
Masses flashed early, but the last two weeks have been the kind of lesson plenty of productive young cornerbacks run into. He has been tested often, and those tests have brought the growing pains that come with it. Still, the tools are there for him to handle the workload.
How he responds this week, mentally and physically, will be worth watching.
Masses and Stukes could easily be flipped on this list, especially with the entire defensive backfield struggling against New England. Stukes showed his inexperience more than once while sorting through route concepts, but the problems ran deeper than one player. On Sunday, there was plenty of blame to spread around.
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