The media was singing the Las Vegas Raiders’ praises last week. However, it’s a much different tune in the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings roundup after a 45-17 blowout loss to the New England Patriots.
Sports Illustrated
16. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 10
While I’m not overreacting at all to the Fernando Mendoza appearance at the end of the Patriots blowout, I do wonder if three straight losses at least generates some conversation. Something tells me the Raiders are dug in on this, but .500 after six weeks will change a lot
of minds. — Conor Orr
Klint Kubiak called Kirk Cousins the Raiders’ starter during the head coach’s press conference on Monday, putting a brief halt to the questions about when Mendoza will take over under center. However, Orr is correct that if the Silver and Black lose to the 4-1 Buffalo Bills this Sunday, those conversations are really going to heat up.
Does that mean the rookie’s first start will be behind a shaky offensive line against a Los Angeles Rams defensive line that features two future first-ballot Hall of Famers in Week 7? Granted, Myles Garrett may not return from injured reserve by the end of the month, which could change the situation. But the following week against the New York Jets feels like the sweet spot, unless Las Vegas pulls off an upset or two before the trip to the Big Apple.
Bleacher Report
18. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 10
Even after consecutive losses, the Las Vegas Raiders are sitting at 3-2. Most Raiders fans would have taken that sort of start to the season, given the option to do so in August. However, things feel a lot different after a blowout loss to the New England Patriots than they felt following last week’s close loss to the rival Chiefs. Playing across the country with a less-than-100-percent Ashton Jeanty certainly didn’t help Las Vegas. However, the Raiders’ defense looked legitimately bad for the first time this season, and the lack of wide-receiver depth was glaring as Las Vegas tried to keep pace with Drake Maye and Co.
Fernando Mendoza made his 2026 debut after the game got out of hand on Sunday. While Kirk Cousins wasn’t benched for performance reasons, calls for Mendoza will intensify if Las Vegas has many more team performances like the one it had in Week 5. — Kristopher Knox
Knox has pretty much the same take as Orr and me on the Mendoza-Cousins situation. The hot start to the season might have temporarily altered the timeline for the No. 1 pick’s first start. However, if the postseason goes back to being an afterthought, it’s probably time to see what the kid is made of.
ESPN
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 11
Biggest issue on defense: Growing pains in the secondary are showing
Rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses had a strong start, being named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week after the Raiders’ Week 2 win over the Chargers. But Masses has allowed nine catches, 155 yards, two touchdowns and a 60% completion rate the past three games. Against the Patriots, the Raiders’ young trio of defensive backs — Masses, rookie safety Treydan Stukes and second-year cornerback Darien Porter — all struggled. Porter gave up a 49-yard reception to wide receiver Kyle Williams. Stukes gave up three catches for 59 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter. — Ryan McFadden
It’s interesting to me that the young defensive backs are getting called out here. Don’t get me wrong, Masses has struggled over the last three weeks, and Stukes had a bad game in New England. But whether you use Pro Football Focus or Next Gen Stats, Eric Stokes has given up the most yards in coverage (209 or 205) and the second-highest completion percentage (62.5% or 56.0%) of the corners who have at least 10 coverage snaps. Also, Taron Johnson is third in yards (132 or 168) and is first in completion percentage (68.4% or 68.2%).
Yes, Porter gave up a 49-yard catch to the Patriots. However, he’s yielded three completions on nine targets (33.3%) for 61 yards, per PFF, or four receptions on 11 targets (36.4%) for 86 yards, per NGS. So, that one play accounts for about 80% or 57.0% of the production he’s allowed so far this season. Also, the play the second-year pro was beaten on in New England was a Cover 0 call where he had to cover a deep over route while the Patriots had max protection to give Drake Maye all day to throw. On top of that, he had two PBUs last Sunday.
Sure, Stokes and Johnson have been on the field more than any of the young guys mentioned, which leads to the higher volume stats. But the point here is that the entire secondary is struggling right now, not just the first- and second-year defensive backs. Additionally, Rob Leonard has to shoulder a good portion of the blame since his play-calling has become predictable and put the defense in bad spots over the last three weeks.
The Athletic
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 13
Who have you beaten? Dolphins, Chargers, Saints
The Raiders were exposed Sunday after a strong start to the season, largely on the back of wins over bad teams. But this trip to New England revealed a lot of flaws for Klint Kubiak and company. The defense was a total mess, allowing six touchdowns on 10 real drives. — Chad Graff, Josh Kendall
I stand by what I said at the beginning of the season: the Raiders shouldn’t apologize for beating bad teams a year after being the worst team in the league. However, when it comes to them being legitimate playoff contenders in 2026, this is where the 3-2 record gets misleading. Vegas’ best win right now is against a 1-4 New Orleans Saints team that has lost its last two games by multiple possessions and a combined 31 points.
That takes the air out of the “Saints are better than their record indicates” argument, and the 0-5 Miami Dolphins and 0-5 Los Angeles Chargers aren’t doing the Raiders any favors with how they’ve played over the last five weeks.
NFL.com
19. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 12
The Raiders finally became the overmatched team we expected to see in 2026. Las Vegas’ defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed on Sunday, surrendering over 500 yards of offense to a unit that seemed lost just two weeks prior. An inability to protect Kirk Cousins (plus a continued lack of production from the ground game) prevented the offense from keeping up in a blowout loss. It’s certainly not time to consider benching Cousins for Fernando Mendoza, but the Raiders have officially encountered their first pothole and will need to divert accordingly in order to sustain the momentum built by a strong start. — Nick Shook
Shook kind of alludes to this: a two-game skid is the first significant adversity Kubiak has faced as a head coach. How will he get his team to respond? We’ll find out on Sunday. It may be doom and gloom right now, but if the Silver and Black can pull off an upset against the Bills, I’ll turn to my friend Michael Corleone for the appropriate response.
