In week four the Las Vegas Raiders lost to the Chiefs, but were in a neck-and-neck battle for much of the contest, proving that their hot start to the season start is for real. Despite Kirk Cousins going for 365 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, Brock Bowers going for 86 receiving yards and Michael Mayer going for 82 receiving yards, Las Vegas was unable to come away with the win.
Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III went for 177 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, and Tyquan Thornton went for 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns, helping Kansas City win their fourth game of the year and remain undefeated.
Las Vegas is still firmly in the playoff mix, with a 3-1 record heading into Week 5. Their status among the contending teams
in the league did not greatly diminish, as they showed they were capable of giving the Chiefs a great fight. After earning an average power ranking of 10.8 following Week 3, let’s round up some power rankings and see how the Raiders are viewed heading into Week 3.
Nate Davis, USA Today — 11
“Where has this franchise been? Andy Reid has the most wins (7) of any coach − including the Raiders' − at Allegiant Stadium. And while Klint Kubiak's troops arguably legitimized themselves by nearly knocking off Reid's Chiefs on Sunday, they'll be challenged to keep it up − the Patriots, Bills, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos are among the Silver and Black's next seven opponents.”
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic — 13
“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.”
Nick Shook, NFL.com — 12
“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.”
NFL Nation, ESPN — 11
“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.”
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports — 10
“They lost for the first time Sunday, but they showed they are a good team by pushing the Chiefs. At 3-1, they are one of the surprise teams in the league.”
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports — 10
“Las Vegas outgained the Chiefs 437-398, which is of little consolation but shows Vegas was close to knocking off Kansas City. If anything, the Raiders validated their hot start with a close loss to a Chiefs team that is 4-0 and has won nine of the last 10 AFC West titles.”
B/R NFL Staff, Bleacher Report — 10
“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.”
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated — 10
“I don’t know what happens from here, but the fact that the Raiders have gotten incredible production out of a handful of players the previous regime deemed unplayable—and are getting game-changing plays from a 2026 fifth-round pick in the secondary—have me more confident in the John Spytek-Tom Brady mind meld than I’ve ever been.”
Average Raiders power ranking: 10.87
Last week: 10.8
The Raiders approach another matchup against a Super Bowl contender in the New England Patriots next week. The Patriots secured a huge bounce back win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 and are now 2-2 after they were facing a potential 1-3 start to the year.
The Raiders’ 3-0 season may quickly turn into a 3-2 record and a fight to have a comfortable advantage in the standings if they do not attack the Patriots and do what is necessary to win. New England is not on as nearly as good of a roll as Kansas City is at this juncture of the offseason, and the tight loss to the Chiefs is still a boost of morale heading into Week 5.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Week 5 Power Rankings Round-up 2026: Raiders hold ground after loss
