Just how lopsided was the effort to start the contest between the visiting Los Angeles Rams and host Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday?
Puka Nacua showcased more physicality than the entire Raiders team as he ran through tackle attempts showcasing both power and sheer will — all the while the Rams wide receiver was questionable to play in the Week 7 matchup due to a calf injury.
Nacua paced the Rams aerial attack with eight receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Matthew Stafford
finished 23 of 29 for 195 yards and three touchdowns and one interception as L.A. rolled into Allegiant Stadium and battered Las Vegas for a 35-21 win, and now both teams sport 3-4 overall records seven games into the respective 2026 campaigns.
The Rams came out with a sense of urgency and will to win — the Raiders did not — dropping an avalanche of offense on the Silver & Black for a commanding 28-6 lead just before halftime.
“Obviously, not a winning performance. Didn’t start the game well enough at all. Didn’t give ourselves a chance,” Raiders rookie head coach Klint Kubiak said to start his postgame press conference. “Started the game way too slow. Guys fought in the second half, but for us to put ourselves in that big of a hole versus a really good team, well-coached team, you don’t give yourself a chance.”
Sean McVay’s Rams offense and Chris Schula’s Rams defense manhandled their Raiders counterparts in Kubiak and defensive coordinator Rob Leonard and did almost whatever they wanted in a dominant first half. Stafford had 148 yards passing and his trio of touchdown throws all in the first half and the Rams’ ground game racked up 103 of it’s total 199 rushing yards in that same timespan.
“They’re moving the ball on us way too well. I’ve got to go look at the tape,” was all Kubiak could say when broached with his team’s run defense getting carved up.
The distinct difference in desire and execution in the first half was so apparent that even FOX Sports analyst and former NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma couldn’t help but question the Raiders defense’s effort on a simple toss play by the Rams that saw running back Kyren Williams easily scamper for the 17-yard touchdown on Los Angeles’ possession before halftime (the specific play is above).
No matter what Leonard dialed up to combat the Rams, it was to little to no avail early on as coaching, communication, and player execution was amiss.
“I feel like we didn’t get in any situation to kind of help ourselves. We started slow, we wanted to start fast. They played with the lead the whole time,” Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who finished with four total tackles and a stop for loss, said after the game. “They had like zero drop back passes, and we wanted to obviously rush them, and we really didn’t get many opportunities. But it starts with us, we’ve got to be able to stop the run. I’ve got to watch the film, but overall, it wasn’t good enough at all. We couldn’t stop the run, and it’s really disappointing, and we’ve got to learn from it and get better from it real fast.”
Las Vegas did finally kick into gear in the third and fourth quarters — even a fleeting moment of complementary football occurred.
Kubiak’s offense clicked late in the third stanza with Tre Tucker’s nifty move after a catch resulted in a 37-yard touchdown.
That was immediately followed by a diving interception by middle linebacker Nakobe Dean off a ricochet from the hands of Rams tight end Colby Parkinson.
And four plays later, Cousins dropped a dime to running back Ashton Jeanty on a well-designed 15-yard touchdown pass and the Raiders’ trimmed the deficit to 28-18.
Sensing a momentum shift, however, the Rams went back to serious mode and produced a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ate more than six and half minutes from the clock to surge ahead 35-18 following that and all Las Vegas could muster was three more points.
Let’s hit the quick slants as fast as the Rams took control of the contest from the Raiders:
—Running back Dylan Laube remains a bright spot as the Raiders primary kick returner. The Rams booted it to the shifty tailback twice and Laube produced 78 yards (long of 42) on the two opportunities. Kicker Matt Gay finished 3 of 4 (missed wide left on his first attempt from 51 yards out) while Cole had two punts for 112 yards (a long of 61 and 56 yard average per boot) with one ending up a touchback and another inside the Rams’ 20-yard line.
—The Rams’ Williams and Blake Corum paced the running back production with 16 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown and 17 carries for 93 yards and a score, respectively. Flip it to the Raiders and Mike Washington Jr. led the team with six carries for 27 yards while Ashton Jeanty added eight carries for 15 yards. In total, L.A. churned out 199 yards on 38 carries (5.2 yards per carry average) to Las Vegas’ 17 carries and 48 yards (2.8 yards per carry) total production.
—Cousins finished 26 of 44 for 295 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked twice and added six yards on three carries scrambling. Las Vegas’ other pass attempt — from punter AJ Cole III — was a thirteen yard gain on the fake punt. Cole finished with a higher rating (118.8) than Cousins (94.4).
—Tucker continues his fine 2026 season with five receptions for 103 yards and a score against the Rams. Tight end Brock Bowers was the next most-productive pass catcher with six grabs for 73 yards. He was followed by Jeanty who had more yards receiving (61 on eight receptions and a touchdown) than rushing.
—Dean and fellow linebacker Quay Walker finished with 12 total tackles, apiece, to lead all defenders in Sunday’s game. Walker added two stops for loss while Dean had the interception and a pass deflection. Cornerback Darien Porter, safety Jeremy Chinn, and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg each finished with seven total tackles.
—Defensive tackle JJ Pegues punched the ball out with Chinn recovering to produce a takeaway for the Raiders defense. But the defense’s performance in the red zone — the Rams went 5-for-5 when they got to Las Vegas’ 20-yard line — remains a brutal Achilles heel. Kubiak’s Raiders offense went 1-for-5 in the red zone.
—The Raiders’ overall efficiency against the Rams is truly disconcerting. The Silver & Black went 3-for-14 on third downs and 2-for-5 on fourth downs. Despite running 64 plays for 350 yards (L.A. had 68 plays for 386, in comparison), the Rams dominated time of possession 34:14 to 25:46.
Quotes of Note
Up Next
The free-falling Raiders hit the road and head East to face the New York Jets (2-5) for a 10 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) matchup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Sunday. Aaron Glenn’s Jets are on a two-game skid losing back-to-back to AFC East foes in the New England Patriots (26-19) and the previously winless Miami Dolphins (28-25) this past Sunday. The Raiders want to end a four-game losing streak and in order to do so, they’ll need to drop the Jets on the road. The way Las Vegas played on Sunday, however, Week 8 may be a get-right game for current New York quarterback (and former Raider) Geno Smith.
