The Raiders went young this offseason, and Week 9 showed exactly what that decision looks like when the games start piling up.
Las Vegas loaded up on younger free agents and draft picks to replace older pieces across the roster, and the payoff has been mixed. The talent is there.
So is the inexperience. Through a 4-5 start, the Raiders have lived with both sides of that bargain, and the last month has made the growing pains hard to miss.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said the team isn’t approaching this like a rebuild, even with so many first- and second-year players carrying real snaps.
“I think one thing that I’m proud of is that we’re not talking about rebuilding. We’re talking about being in every game and winning every game.
That’s how we treat it. We’re not looking at the future as coaches or players,” Kubiak said.
“You develop the future on the way, but every game we’re talking about winning that game. We are not satisfied with a rebuilding process, so that’s the mentality I want our players and coaches to have.”
That mindset is showing up in the way the Raiders are leaning on their rookie and sophomore class. The group has been central to both the promise and the problems of this season, especially in Week 9.
Stukes kept making his presence felt against the 49ers, with his interception helping keep Las Vegas in the game. He’s become a weekly example of why reps matter so much for young players - practice helps, but real game action is where the learning really happens.
Zuhn also continued to look like one of the better answers the Raiders have at guard. For an offense that has struggled to get anything going on the ground, that matters.
If he keeps trending upward, he could be a major piece for the second half of the season. And if he’s healthy enough to go this week, Las Vegas needs to keep him in the starting lineup to keep that development moving.
Jeanty made his own impact when the Raiders gave him chances. He led the team in rushing yards on Sunday, but the number was still stuck in a brutal place: Las Vegas finished with just 24 rushing yards as a team. The run game faded out early in the second half after Kirk Cousins’ interception was returned for a touchdown, and the bigger issue has been the offensive line more than the backfield.
On the other side of the ball, the young defensive backfield remains the clearest trouble spot on the roster. It was already viewed as the team’s biggest weakness before the season, and nine games in, that assessment has held up. The Raiders have talent back there, but the unit is still trying to find enough consistency from its young players.
Sunday was another rough stretch for that group, but Kubiak said he still sees progress. He pointed to Hezekiah Masses, Darien Porter and Jermod McCoy as players the team will keep playing, adding, “we’ll let the cream rise to the top and those guys will play more,” Kubiak said.
The Raiders’ lone move at the trade deadline didn’t address cornerback, which says plenty about how the front office views the position group. Kubiak also singled out McCoy as a player on the rise.
“Jermod [McCoy], just a player that’s ascending. That’s making us play multiple DBs because he’s covering at a high level, he’s improving.
Again, is a guy that we all didn’t know if he’s going to play football this year, and he’s not missing practice. He’s playing in games.
He’s stayinghealthy. He’s progressing, getting better with reps," Kubiak said.
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Raiders Were Suddenly Pulled Into A Kirk Cousins Trade Standoff
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For Las Vegas, the intrigue was less about a blockbuster and more about how quickly a veteran quarterback can become a leverage point when another team is suddenly pressed for answers. The Raiders had a market to navigate, and Minnesotas interest created the kind of standoff that can force both sides to decide whether the price is worth paying or whether the conversation is better left where it started. [Read more 🡒]