After going undefeated in September, the Las Vegas Raiders managed to go winless in October and are rapidly falling out of playoff contention
. So, it’s not surprising that the Raiders are sliding down the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings. The four-game losing streak has also led to a lot of discussion about when Fernando Mendoza will make his first start, despite Klint Kubiak confirming on Monday that Kirk Cousins remains QB1.Sports Illustrated
22. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 19
Assuming the Raiders can beat the woeful Jets
this coming weekend, the subplot of Kirk Cousins remaining the starter versus being a legitimately valuable trade chip (he’s leading the league in touchdown passes!) will thicken. Fernando Mendoza will play at some point, but if the Raiders can get a mid-round pick for Cousins with all their needs, wouldn’t that be difficult to turn down? — Conor Orr
I understand the line of thinking, but I’d honestly be surprised if Cousins gets traded at the deadline.
When teams are winning, most coaches don’t want to disrupt the situation by making a quarterback change, especially with someone from outside the building who will have to learn the playbook. Unless an injury happens in the next two weeks, it would take a team that’s on the bubble but on the outside looking in and has an unstable quarterback situation.
The Baltimore Ravens could fall into that category given the uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson. But Jackson should be returning soon, and I don’t think John Spytek is looking to do Eric DeCosta any favors for obvious reasons. The Atlanta Falcons are the other team potentially in that spot, but they’ve been winning with Michael Penix Jr. and chose to move on from Cousins this past offseason.
ESPN
22. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 18
While the masses are eager to see Fernando Mendoza take over the offense, Cousins has played surprisingly well to the point that the No. 1 pick has had to wait longer than expected to be the starter. Cousins, 38, ranks third in passing yards (1,877) and first in touchdown passes (16). Sure, the limitations at his age, such as arm strength and mobility, have been prevalent. But Las Vegas’ four-game losing streak is not solely on him. Coach Klint Kubiak confirmed that Cousins will start in Week 8 against the Jets. — Ryan McFadden
The Raiders’ four-game losing streak isn’t on Cousins, that’s for sure. However, the team isn’t winning with the 38-year-old behind center, and at some point, the focus of this season needs to shift to the future. Facing a lower-quality opponent this Sunday was a good opportunity to give the rookie his first start, but Kubiak referenced the Silver and Black still being “in the hunt” as part of his rationale for continuing to roll with Cousins.
Mathematically, yes, Las Vegas still has playoff hopes. But let’s be honest, the last month has proven that the offseason expectations for the rebuilding Raiders were valid, and the team isn’t ready to be a legitimate postseason contender.
Bleacher Report
20. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 18
The feel-good start to the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 campaign came screeching to a halt when the calendar flipped to October. The team turned into a pumpkin and lost all four games in the month. At this juncture, the possibility of this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, taking over Las Vegas’ offense on a full-time basis must be under strong consideration. A Week 13 bye may be too late in the process to get the team’s biggest investment onto the field, because he could use all of the snaps he can get.
On the flip side of the coin, the Raiders still face four of the league’s top 12 defenses over the next five games, which doesn’t even include the Denver Broncos’ talented unit. So, the Raiders have a significant decision to make. Either the coaching staff and organization feel Mendoza is ready no matter who he faces, or the team will have to wait until December before pulling Kirk Cousins from the starting lineup. — Brent Sobleski
This brings up an interesting exercise: looking at the rest of the schedule to determine where the sweet spot for Mendoza’s first start is.
Obviously, it isn’t happening this Sunday in New York. Then, in the four weeks before the bye, the options are: at the San Francisco 49ers, vs. the Seattle Seahawks, at the Denver Broncos, and at the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the first game after the bye is at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, and the rest of the schedule is fairly soft: vs. Broncos (tough matchup), vs. Tennessee Titans, at Arizona Cardinals, and at Kansas City Chiefs (who might have nothing to play for in Week 18).
NFL.com
25. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 18
It’s official: The Raiders’ 3-0 start was a mirage. Las Vegas has now lost four straight and can no longer rely on Kirk Cousins to simply throw them to victory (or close losses). The calls for Fernando Mendoza are only going to grow louder if this continues, even if the Raiders’ struggles aren’t really a product of Cousins’ performance. The defense certainly didn’t do them any favors Sunday, but perhaps they can bounce back against a Jets team mired in similar struggles. — Nick Shook
The Jets have one quality win (Week 5 against the Browns), with the other victory coming against the Titans in the season opener. Also, New York just lost to a previously winless Miami Dolphins team. That’s to say, this Sunday is a very winnable game for the Raiders, putting the record at 4-4 and pretty much confirming that Cousins will start for at least one more game. Additionally, it could buy him two more games since the Raiders would still be “in the hunt” at 4-5 even with a loss in San Francisco.
The Athletic
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 18
Something spooky: Quarterback questions
After a fourth straight loss on Sunday, Kirk Cousins was asked about how and when the team would turn things over to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. It’s not happening yet, but even if Cousins wasn’t the biggest problem Sunday (he threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders still can’t run the ball), the questions about Mendoza will get louder if Las Vegas drops next weekend’s game in New York. — Josh Kendall, Chad Graff
This is the other end of the spectrum, where at 3-5 with five straight losses, Kubiak has to look in the mirror and be honest with himself about the team’s outlook for the rest of 2026. Then it becomes a question of what’s more valuable for the rookie quarterback: Getting as many starts and as much experience as possible, or not throwing him to the wolves with four legitimate playoff contenders right off the bat and waiting until the schedule softens up?
There’s only a handful of people who can answer that question, and they’re all at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev.
