There may not be any moral victories in the NFL, but the Las Vegas Raiders falling 30-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs
last Sunday is as close as it gets. A hard-fought loss has many in the media singing the Las Vegas Raiders’ praises in the Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, while noting that new head coach Klint Kubiak is building something special in Las Vegas.Sports Illustrated
10. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 9
Column on the arrival of Mark Davis finally making a coaching hire who lets his actions do the talking. — Conor Orr
In Orr’s column, he references Kubiak as the league’s “early shoo-in for Coach of the Year.” Obviously, the Raiders have to swap out “moral victories” for actual victories on the scoreboard during the brutal stretch of the schedule that they just started. But if they do and continue to stay in the playoff conversation throughout the season, Orr’s claim is going to be hard to argue with.
The rookie head coach hasn’t been perfect and showed signs of his inexperience during his first four games. But this is a team that was picking first in the draft just six months ago, had very low expectations heading into the season, and just went toe-to-toe with a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
ESPN
11. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 14
Four words to describe the first four weeks: Something special is brewing.
Even after the Raiders’ heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs, there’s a sense that first-time coach Klint Kubiak is building something special in Las Vegas. The Raiders were competitive for four quarters against Kansas City. They are better than expected and should be a competitive team each week, especially with quarterback Kirk Cousins playing at a high level. With the Chargers 0-4 and the Broncos 2-2, it’s not crazy to suggest Las Vegas can make a playoff run in Year 1 of the Kubiak era. — Ryan McFadden
It’s only been a quarter of the season and, of course, the Raiders have to finish strong. However, they’ve put themselves in a good spot to earn an AFC Wild Card spot by currently sitting as the sixth seed, with the 3-1 Baltimore Ravens owning the early tiebreaker. In the same vein, this week’s game matters even more because who owns the seventh spot in the conference right now? The 2-2 New England Patriots.
The Athletic
13. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 12
Concern level: Concern? What concern?
The Raiders lost, but they’ve got to come away from Sunday’s game feeling pretty good. They’ve already matched their win total from a year ago. New coach Klint Kubiak is exceeding expectations, and even 38-year-old Kirk Cousins is slinging it. There’s not a lot to be worried about in Vegas given what this season could’ve looked like. — Chad Graff, Josh Kendall
The last line is key here. The Raiders certainly aren’t perfect and have a handful of issues that probably can’t even be addressed until the offseason, but the coaching has been able to mask some of their problems. Continue to add talent to the roster, and Kubiak and Co. should be able to return the organization to prominence. In other words, the spotlight is going to be on general manager John Spytek moving forward, and Spytek’s 2026 offseason additions should inspire more confidence.
NFL.com
12. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 10
There are no moral victories here, but the Raiders sure have plenty to be proud of after their narrow Week 4 loss to Kansas City. The upstart Las Vegas squad battled with big brother for four quarters and nearly handed the Chiefs their first loss of 2026. Kirk Cousins is playing fantastically, and the defensive additions have helped transform the team from an also-ran into a squad that deserves a ton of respect. I’m not sure how the story will end, but I’m glad we’re along for the ride. — Nick Shook
I hate the idea of calling the Chiefs “big brother”. However, let’s be real: Patrick Mahomes is 14-2 against the Raiders and has played in five Super Bowls (winning three of them). So, he/they have earned that distinction. But if last Sunday is any indication, the Silver and Black finally have the regime that can help close the gap and take over as top dog in the division down the line.
Bleacher Report
10. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 11
For the first time this season, the Las Vegas Raiders came up short, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, but their contender credentials are genuine after entering last week at No. 11 in our power rankings. In the third quarter, on 4th-and-2, Las Vegas passed up a 41-yard field-goal attempt and turned the ball over on downs. In the final quarter, kick returner Dareke Young fumbled, which allowed league-leading rusher Kenneth Walker III to score on a short field. While aggressive, the Raiders will miss the mark at times, but they’re good enough to hang with the NFL’s upper-echelon teams. Keep in mind that playoff-caliber clubs have a better chance of capitalizing on Las Vegas’ mistakes. — Moe Moton
To Moton’s point, turnovers were the difference in the game against Kansas City, with the fumble leading to a late two-possession lead and an interception sealing Las Vegas’ fate. The good news is that the Raiders lead the NFL with nine takeaways, per The Football Database, despite not getting any on Sunday. The bad news is that they failed to get a turnover against the best team they’ve played so far and are now only plus-three in differential. A pick or fumble recovery (or both) in New England this weekend can help ease concerns.
