Offense, defense, and special teams contributing towards a victory — that’s not something the Las Vegas Raiders do frequently.
Yet, in Klint Kubiak’s first regular season game as the head coach, complementary football wasn’t only present, it was a welcome sight. Seeing the defense make a stand and either force a punt or generate a takeaway followed by the offense driving for points showcased the a new Silver & Black era.
Couple that with special teams providing the offense with prime field position
on returns and three points on field goals or pinning the visiting Miami Dolphins deep to give the defense an advantage and it’s no wonder the Raiders rolled to a 27-13 victory inside Allegiant Stadium this past Sunday.
To put it plain: Kubiak’s Raiders conducted themselves as a professional football team.
Winning the coin toss and choosing to kick the ball to the Dolphins and deferring the possession to start the second half, the Raiders defense stood its ground and forced a punt to set the tone. And that set stage for Kubiak and his offense to go to work and Las Vegas responded with a methodical 16-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that culminated in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins delivering a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jack Bech.
The drive, which took nearly nine minutes (8:58), was a good mix of run (seven) and pass (nine) plays and showcased the Raiders’ offensive line — a group that’s benefactors of bolstered personnel (healthy left tackle Kolton Miller and high-priced free-agent acquisition center Tyler Linderbaum) and coaching (Kubiak and offensive line boss Rick Dennison).
Miami’s second drive ended similarly to the first with a punt and rookie wide receiver Malik Benson clashed Brandon Pinion’s 59-yard punt with a 23-yard punt return, adding some special teams splash early in the game. Las Vegas’ second possession was capped by Matt Gay’s 47-yard field goal to give the team a 10-0 advantage.
My curiosity piqued a few times in this tilt with one of them intrigued by how the Raiders would respond when the Dolphins eventually scored. And we found out after a field goal cut Las Vegas’ advantage to 10-3 as Kubiak and Cousins cooked up an impressive seven-play drive capped by running back Ashton Jeanty running the crisp Texas route out of the backfield for a beauty of a 13-yard touchdown reception.
The other moment was after Miami capitalized on Cousins first interception of the afternoon and covering 52 yards in just four plays as quarterback Malik Willis torched Las Vegas defense for a 14-yard touchdown run and, after the point after, the Raiders lead went to a slim 17-13 variety.
We’re accustomed to this scenario where something like this quickly becomes quicksand with the Silver & Black unable to escape before suffocating. Raider “resolve” had been just as fleeting as complementary football.
But in Week 1 of the 2026 season, Kubiak’s desert marauders didn’t fold. Las Vegas went 50 yards on five plays and it was Jeanty sneaking out of the backfield to haul in a 13-yard lob from Cousins to put the Raiders ahead of the Dolphins 24-13.
Las Vegas final points of the afternoon arrived via a 30-yard field goal from Gay and despite another interception from Cousins, Rob Leonard’s Raiders defense was able to play with its ears pinned back and the team closed out the contest for an impressive season-opening win.
Let’s see if Kubiak can sustain the momentum and build upon the complementary football his team is playing as the season continues.
That noted, let’s hit the quick slants as fast as both Raiders edge rushers Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye got to Willis:
—Jeanty led the Raiders offense with 102 yards rushing on 23 carries (4.4 yards per carry average) and added six receptions for 45 yards and two touchdowns receiving. Rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. contributed 41 rushing yards on seven carries (5.9 yards per carry average).
—The duo of Paye and Crosby paced Las Vegas pass rush with two and 1.5 sacks, respectively. The other Raiders with takedowns of Willis were middle linebacker Nakobe Dean (one) and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi (half a sack). Paye finished with four quarterback hits while Crosby totaled three.
—Leonard dialed up creative blitzes alongside stunts on the defensive line to create one-on-one opportunties for his rushers and the Raiders defense totaled five sacks (could’ve been more — including a would-be safety from Crosby). Flip it to Cousins and he was rarely pressured, remained clean, and wasn’t sacked once.
—Have to give credit to the Raiders secondary for coverage on the backend that forced Willis to hold on to the ball and allowing the pass rush to get home. Rookie safety Treydan Stukes not only tied for most total tackles (six) but also had the team’s lone interception.
Quotes of Note
“I’d say it was kind of on par for what we’ve come to expect from him. He’s been a leader throughout. What he did tonight is what we expect from him, but doing it with a bad ankle with a little bit less practice than he’s used to just tells you the kind of guy you’re dealing with.”
—Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak on running back Ashton Jeanty’s 147 total yards and two-touchdown performance in the win
“I think there’s some good things, some bad things, things we need to clean up, but anytime you end up in the win column it’s a good day. Overall, first time we’re out there playing a full game together, just really proud of the guys competing.”
—Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum on the team’s Week 1 performance
Up Next
The Raiders (1-0) are Inglewood-bound to face an AFC West foe in the Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) next Sunday afternoon inside SoFi Stadium. The Bolts were zapped by the Arizona Cardinals 26-14 in Week 1 in what can be considered quite the opening weekend stunner. Despite being seen as the clear underdog, rookie head coach Mike LaFleur and his Cardinals manhandled the Chargers throughout the contest and L.A. had an atrocious fourth quarter to end up with the loss.
