We’ve officially reached the halfway point of the 2026 NFL season, and the 4-5 Las Vegas Raiders are technically in the AFC Wild Card hunt
. However, the Week 9 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers means the Raiders still haven’t beaten a playoff-caliber opponent, and a defense that hasn’t given up fewer than 27 points since Week 2 is a big reason for that. Hence, defensive coordinator Rob Leonard leads off this week’s winners and losers column.LOSER: Rob Leonard
To be fair, the offense had a pick-six in San Francisco,
so the Raiders’ defense “only” gave up 31 points. However, they also became the first team since 2020 (fifth in the modern era) to give up at least 30 points in six consecutive games (h/t The Athletic’s Sam Warren). The Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars were the clubs to do it six years ago, and that was Matt Patricia’s last season as the Lions’ head coach and Doug Marrone’s final run in Jacksonville.
While Klint Kubiak isn’t going anywhere in Las Vegas, Kubiak can’t continue to watch the defense struggle and not make a significant change. Leonard may not get fired this week, but he should at least be on the hot seat moving forward. After the game, the head coach was asked about making changes defensively and replied: “We’ll look at the film and make our decisions when we have cooler heads,” per Warren.
So, Leonard might be safe for now, but that quote isn’t exactly a vote of confidence. If Kubiak wants to salvage the rest of the season, something has to change defensively, and it might start at the top.
LOSER: John Spytek
It’s fair to say that Spytek wasn’t going to fix all of the Raiders’ problems this past offseason, but he shoulders at least some of the blame for the defense’s struggles.
Between Kwity Paye ($48 million), Quay Walker ($40.5 million), Nakobe Dean ($36.03 million), Eric Stokes ($30 million) and Malcolm Koonce ($11 million), the general manager spent over $165 million in total contract value on defensive players in the offseason. Other than Dean, none of those signings have been consistent and legitimate difference makers so far this season.
On top of that, everyone knew that defensive tackle was one of the defense’s biggest needs heading into the offseason. However, Spytek essentially ignored the position. Now, the unit can’t stop the run and has little to no interior pass-rush. His job may not be in danger just yet, but Spytek should be feeling a lot of pressure right now.
WINNER: Treydan Stukes
Granted, what the GM might point to is the fact that Stukes is showing signs of becoming an impactful defensive back.
It feels like he’s been getting better just about every week, and he had a strong performance in San Francisco, nabing his second interception of the season. The second-round pick was also targeted five times and allowed four catches for 19 yards while recording a pair of stops in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. That helped Stukes earn a career/season-high 84.4 grade that ranks fourth among safeties for the week (pre-Monday Night Football).
LOSER: Kirk Cousins
A week after temporarily silencing Fernando Mendoza talks, Cousins played his worst game of the season to reignite the conversation. He completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for just 216 yards and one touchdown to a season-high three interceptions.
While the veteran quarterback is far from the Raiders’ biggest problem, the only thing keeping him in the starting lineup is that the Raiders are still in the playoff mix. However, as the losses mount and the team continues to show it isn’t a legitimate postseason contender, the more the organization’s focus shifts to the future.
LOSER: Spencer Burford
The coaching staff is clearly higher on Burford than outsiders are, but it’s getting hard to ignore that his PFF grade has bounced back and forth between good and well below-average every game since Week 4.
This past Sunday’s game came in with a 43.6 mark, and Sumer Sports credited him with just one “impact block”. Additionally, Burford had a 48.7 run-blocking grade against the 49ers and is at 58.5 for the entire season while the offense can’t run the ball.
At some point, the change up front can’t just be at right guard. Someone else needs to get a shot to replace Burford, especially since he’s only on a one-year contract.
WINNER: Jermod McCoy
It’s been a tough rookie season for McCoy, who looked rough in his limited playing time before this past weekend. While his production came in garbage time, it was good to see him record a couple of pass breakups on two targets in San Francisco. In a way, it felt like an NBA jump shooter going through a cold streak hitting a pair of free throws just to see the ball go through the hoop. Hopefully, that helps the fourth-round pick build some confidence moving forward, because the defense needs someone to step up at cornerback.
LOSER: Adam Butler
To be clear, Vegas’ defensive tackle issue extends far beyond just one player. However, Butler isn’t helping matters, and Sunday was a pretty rough afternoon for him. The veteran defensive lineman registered a start and 46 snaps (26 against the run, 18 as a pass-rusher and two in coverage) but posted a season-low 48.3 PFF run defense grade and failed to record a pressure.
LOSER: Tim Keenan III
On a similar note, Keenan made his first NFL start but failed to seize the opportunity. The practice squad call-up was the Raiders’ lowest-graded defender (39.4) and didn’t do what he was elevated for: stop the run. San Francisco’s wide zone rushing attack — which it leaned on more than any concept or for 32.6% of the offense’s carries, per Sumer — gave Keenan trouble as he was constantly washed out of his gap.
That’s the rookie’s third call-up of the year, meaning he has to be added to the 53-man roster to be active for another game. If the coaching staff was using Sunday as a deciding factor in that decision, then it seems like Keenan will spend the rest of the year on the practice squad unless an injury or full-on youth movement happens down the stretch.
