Another big win means another big rise in the rankings for the Raiders. They saw a seven-point rise after their Week 2 win over the Chargers. But people still seemed pretty skeptical. Then Week 3 brought a win in New Orleans over a tough Saints team to put the Raiders among just five remaining undefeated teams in the league. Now they seem to have gotten people's attention.
Nate Davis, USA Today -- 11
You may not be ready to fully invest, but Sunday's win at New Orleans showed they're no fluke − and beating the Chiefs in Week 4 would stamp the Silver and Black as totally legit. Tied for the league lead with nine TD passes, despite not having a wide receiver who averages even four recpetions per week, QB Kirk Cousins deserves to be mentioned in (very) premature MVP conversations.
Josh Kendall, Chad Graff, The Athletic -- 12
Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes with nine, and Las Vegas is unbeaten. What’s not to love? The schedule, for starters. After playing three teams with a combined one win, the Raiders have the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams up next. Cousins is 38, in Year 15 of his career and knows he was signed as a placeholder for No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. If Cousins or his team falls off this pace, fans will start clamoring for the new guy.
Nick Shook, NFL media -- 10
Sure, I might be overreacting to the Raiders’ hot start, but how can I pass on the rare opportunity to push the Silver and Black into the top 10? Klint Kubiak has inspired this previously downtrodden franchise, and Las Vegas is playing a wildly entertaining brand of football built on contributions from both established (Kirk Cousins, Brock Bowers) and unknown players (fifth-round rookie Hezekiah Masses has three interceptions this season!).
NFL Nation, ESPN -- 14
Jeanty got off to a strong start, recording 32.7 fantasy points in a Week 1 win over the Dolphins. But he has been inconsistent since then, averaging fewer than 3 yards per carry and 11.3 fantasy points in the past two games. Jeanty was expected to make a significant jump in Year 2 under new coach Klint Kubiak. His production should pick up if he gets more opportunities in the passing game, though Brock Bowers just returned for the Raiders from a meniscus trim.
Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated -- 9
The Raiders are getting their Mariah Carey moment in this week’s power rankings. Every year, Carey peaks on the Billboard charts and we celebrate her arrival and understand her departure without judgement. Las Vegas has earned its moment here after a third shape-shifting victory, this time over the Saints. Brock Bowers is the most imposing receiver we’ve seen since peak A.J. Brown.
Garrett Podell, CBS Sports -- 9
The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is a big reason why. He's thrown three touchdowns in all three games, and he had his first interception-less outing in Las Vegas' 35-27 road win at the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. Cousins and Tom Brady (2015 and 2021) are the only players age 38 or older with nine-plus passing touchdowns in the first three games of a season.
Average rank: 10.8
Last week: 20
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Power Rankings round-up 2026: Raiders surge again Week 4
