Las Vegas Raiders caput manager Klint Kubiak talks into his headset connected the sideline during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Miami Dolphins astatine Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun
By Mark Anderson, Associated Press
Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 | 9:19 p.m.
NFL coaches volition ne'er discount the worth of a victory, nary substance the opponent, but it's astir to get existent for the Raiders.
Las Vegas, caller disconnected Sunday's 27-13 victory over the woeful and rather young Miami Dolphins, is getting acceptable for a six-game agelong against opponents who could uncover precisely wherever the Raiders are successful their rebuild.
That begins Sunday astatine the Los Angeles Chargers, followed by matchups with New Orleans, Kansas City, New England, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams. The games against the Chargers, Saints and Patriots are connected the road.
“You larn astir everybody successful this unit cooker that we enactment in, and that’s what makes the NFL truthful fun,” manager Klint Kubiak said. “So, yes, there’s a pugnacious agelong coming up due to the fact that that’s what the NFL is, but we conscionable effort to look 1 crippled astatine a time.”
Some of the Week 1 results mightiness not bespeak the spot of the Raiders' upcoming opponents.
Four of the six teams that are adjacent up connected the Raiders' docket mislaid their openers, and the Chiefs were hosting Denver connected Monday night. But the Chargers won 11 games each of the past 2 years, the Saints were a 2-point conversion distant from beating Detroit, the Patriots played successful the Super Bowl past season, and the Rams went into the play arsenic the favorites to triumph it all.
The Bills and Chiefs are besides among the Super Bowl favorites and should situation a Raiders squad that went 3-14 past season.
There is anticipation successful Las Vegas that amended days are ahead, and sportsbooks springiness the Raiders a statement 6 1/2-win total. Kubiak showed his violative creativity against the Dolphins, an constituent that has been missing successful caller seasons successful Las Vegas. Kirk Cousins threw 3 touchdown passes and Ashton Jeanty produced 147 yards rushing and receiving.
Las Vegas' defence besides mightiness beryllium amended than expected. The Raiders dominated the enactment of scrimmage, sacking Malik Willis 5 times and holding De'Von Achane — who rushed for 1,350 yards successful 2025 — to 36 yards connected 11 carries.
The game, however, besides highlighted immoderate of the Raiders' concerns. Cousins didn't trial the Dolphins deep, and the discourtesy dried up successful the 4th fourth with conscionable 3 yards and 2 archetypal downs.
“Just overall, I thought (we) conscionable mislaid our steam,” Kubiak said. “That being said, we enactment ourselves successful bully presumption successful the archetypal half, and we conscionable got to play 4 quarters of football. Was truly pleased the mode our defence played 4 quarters of football.”
The Raiders can't spend atrocious quarters successful this upcoming slate, but the franchise seems to travel up with an unexpected triumph each season. Las Vegas won astatine New England past season, astatine Baltimore successful 2024 and astatine Kansas City successful 2023.
Maybe determination volition beryllium different specified triumph coming soon. Either way, the Raiders volition person a overmuch amended thought of wherever they basal by the clip November arrives.
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