Now that the Las Vegas Raiders officially have their 2026 schedule set, it’s time to start circling which games should be wins for the Silver and Black. To be honest, there aren’t many stretches or even back-to-back games where the Raiders have favorable matchups. Playing two of the best divisions in the NFL, the AFC and NFC Wests, will do that.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few “easy” stretches on Las Vegas’ schedule.
Weeks 12-13
Matchups: @ Browns, Bye
Including the bye week feels like cheating, but
again, there weren’t many options. Plus, getting to play the Cleveland Browns right before having a week off can help create some momentum heading into December and the last five weeks of the season.
While the Browns have a great defense, they have so many question marks offensively—including at the most important position on the field—that the Raiders have a good chance at getting a win on the road here. Then, Las Vegas will have two weeks to prepare for a divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Weeks 16-17
Matchups: vs. Titans, @ Cardinals
To be fair, the Raiders, Titans and Cardinals all finished last season with the same record, as those teams made up three of the top four picks in last April’s draft. But if we’re looking for favorable matchups in consecutive order, playing clubs that had three wins each in 2025 and have new head coaches in 2026 (just like Las Vegas) has to be included on the list.
Not much is expected of all three clubs this fall, as each organization is in the beginning stages of a transition or rebuilding period. That gives the Silver and Black an opportunity to show growth at the end of the campaign by rattling off back-to-back wins to build some confidence heading into 2027 and start to separate themselves from the bottom of the league. That’s a big opportunity for a young team.
Week 1
Matchups: vs. Dolphins
Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is a single game and not a “stretch”. But there aren’t many consecutive contests that I would consider “easy” for the Raiders heading into the campaign. Week 8 against the New York Jets could fall into a similar category, but that matchup is sandwiched between facing the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Meanwhile, the season opener against the Miami Dolphins means Las Vegas will be fresh and, hopefully, injury-free ahead of a matchup against a team that’s expected to be in contention for the No. 1 pick of the draft. The Dolphins also hit the reset button during the offseason, making a coaching change and tearing down their roster to kick off a rebuild.
