Week 1 was not only the beginning of the 2026 season for the Las Vegas Raiders, but it also kicked off the Klint Kubiak era in Las Vegas. A lot was made about the significant changes the Raiders made over the offseason, and the entire coaching staff delivered to get Kubiak his first win as a head coach against the Miami Dolphins. Hence why he’s leading off for this week’s winners and losers.
WINNER: Klint Kubiak
Anytime a coach gets his first win in the NFL, he’s a big winner, especially when it happens in his first game.
But more importantly, the Raiders looked like a much more well-coached team than they have in recent years, and that’s a credit to Kubiak.
The offense was a well-oiled machine, totaling 290 yards with no sacks and very few negative plays. On top of that, Vegas only lost 29 yards on six penalties throughout the afternoon, showcasing some discipline.
Truth be told, the entire coaching staff deserves some recognition. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard was also calling his first game, limiting the Dolphins to just 13 points and two of 11 conversions (18.2%) on third or fourth down. That’s a testament to the staff Kubiak has assembled, as the new crew certainly got off to a strong start.
WINNER: Rick Dennison
Again, the entire coaching staff deserves some love, but Dennison gets a special shoutout for how dramatically different the offensive line played. There were plenty of holes created for running back Ashton Jeanty, a significant change from last season. Sunday was just his third 100-yard performance of his short career. The 2025 first-round pick didn’t have 100 rushing yards until Week 3 last year and didn’t hit triple digits in a single game until Week 4.
On top of that, Pro Football Focus only had the Raiders’ offensive line on the hook for six pressures on 31 opportunities. Considering where this group was a year ago, that’s a significant accomplishment for Dennison, as the difference in coaching was noticeable in the team’s first game.
WINNER: Kwity Paye
Maxx Crosby is still the Silver and Black’s best pass rusher, and he proved it by tying for the team lead with eight pressures on Sunday, per PFF. So Crosby could be considered a winner, too, but we’ve come to expect this level of production from him by now. Meanwhile, Paye tying for the team lead in pressures was surprising, and he did it with nine fewer pass-rush snaps than his counterpart (33 to 24).
The free agent signing also led the team with two sacks and four quarterback hits on the afternoon. Additionally, he tied linebacker Nakobe Dean for the most “defensive stops” with five. Despite participating in just six snaps against the run, two of Paye’s stops came in that phase of the game to turn in a complete performance. That’s a pretty encouraging outing from the defense’s No. 2 edge defender.
WINNER: Jeremy Chinn
There were plenty of notable defensive performances against Miami, which could have caused Chinn to blend in a bit at first. However, make no mistake about it; he was pretty impactful. A forced fumble on the first play after the two-minute warning led to a turnover that closed the door on the Dolphins’ comeback hopes. That also played a big part in the safety leading Las Vegas and ranking second among safeties (minimum 20 snaps and pre-Monday Night Football) with an elite 90.7 PFF grade.
Chinn was also constantly around the ball, falling one tackle short of the team lead with five. Several of those were impactful, as Chinn trailed only Dean and Paye for the Raiders’ most defensive stops by racking up three. Overall, it was a pretty well-rounded performance from the strong safety.
WINNER: Ashton Jeanty
As mentioned above, Jeanty had an impressive outing in the ground game by cracking triple digits, something that rarely happened during his rookie year. He also continued to shine after contact, totaling 79 yards after getting hit while averaging 3.43 yards after contact per attempt and forcing three missed tackles as a runner, per PFF.
But what’s even more impressive is that the running back was the team’s leading receiver, catching all six targets thrown his way for 45 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. With Brock Bowers sidelined, someone needed to step up in the passing game, and Jeanty answered the call.
LOSER: Kirk Cousins
To be fair, the offense certainly functions well with Cousins behind center. The Raiders didn’t punt until the fourth quarter and came away with points on five of their first six drives. The quarterback certainly managed the game well, going 21-for-30 (70.0%), 160 yards and three touchdowns. However, that many completions paired with so few yards highlights the issue with the 38-year-old: he struggles to push the ball down the field.
Cousins had also had two interceptions and, for what it’s worth, PFF didn’t credit him with a single “big-time throw”. The reason for the latter is that he was one of seven for 21 yards on throws 10 or more yards past the line of scrimmage, and both picks came on such attempts.
It didn’t matter in the big picture this past weekend, but Las Vegas can expect to see loaded boxes moving forward until its quarterback proves he can be effective in the vertical passing game.
WINNER: Treydan Stukes
A lot was made about Stukes getting off to a slow start in training camp and primarily working with the second-team defense. But he ended up playing his way into the Week 1 starting lineup and had an impressive first NFL game by tying for the team lead with six tackles and recording his first interception. That’s an impressive debut for the second-round pick, especially since he’s playing a new position at free safety.
