The Las Vegas Raiders were one of 16 teams that started off in the win column to begin the 2026 NFL season, and are now one of only eight teams left that have yet to taste defeat.
The Raiders pulled off an upset 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, led by Kirk Cousins and his 253 passing yard along with three passing touchdowns, and Tre Tucker’s big 119-yard performance in the receiving yards department.
Las Vegas secured a victory over a favorable opponent in the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. However, defeating a Super Bowl contender on the road in a division rivalry matchup at that made them a team to beware of. After earning an average power ranking of 27.25 following opening week, let’s round up some power rankings and see how the Raiders
are viewed heading into Week 3.
Nate Davis, USA Today — 21
“Kirk Cousins joined Hall of Famer Ken Stabler (1976) as the only Silver and Black QBs to throw at least three TD passes in each of a season's first two games. You'll recall the '76 Raiders won the Super Bowl, of course.”
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic — 22
“The No. 1 overall pick doesn’t look close to getting on the field with how the Raiders are playing. Kirk Cousins is in his 15th year and is tied for the league lead with six passing touchdowns. Cousins is playing average overall (15th in EPA per dropback and 13th in yards per attempt), and that’s good enough in Las Vegas right now. Fourth-round running back Mike Washington Jr. is getting some work, but second-year man Ashton Jeanty is carrying most of the load.”
Nick Shook, NFL.com — 22
“The Raiders are 2-0! They aren’t anywhere near perfection, but they’re undefeated after two weeks and winning in new coach Klint Kubiak’s intended fashion: playing opportunistic, scrappy defense and capitalizing on opponents' mistakes. The best part: They’re doing it with names you might have never heard before. Cody Whitescored two receiving touchdowns on Sunday. Hezekiah Masses picked off Justin Herbert twice. Furthermore, Kirk Cousins is out there slinging the pill with no fear! I’m not saying the Raiders are going to the playoffs, but they’re certainly fun to watch.”
NFL Nation, ESPN — 20
“Cousins has been pressured on 36.5% of his dropbacks through two games. In those situations, he has completed 13 of 21 passes (61.9%) for 161 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and a passer rating of 105.6. Against the Chargers, Cousins was pressured on 40.6% of his dropbacks. Yet he still managed to throw for 108 yards and two scores whenever the Chargers brought the heat.”
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports — 16
“They are 2-0 and one of the surprise teams of the first two weeks. The defense impressed in the victory over the Chargers.”
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports — 18
“Klint Kubiak's offense will get a lot of credit for the Raiders' 2-0 start. While that side of the ball is playing well, it's more notable what Vegas' defense is doing. The Raiders' defense is first in the NFL in EPA allowed per play, and by a wide margin. Part of that (and part of the reason the Raiders aren't higher in the rankings yet) is they've played a Dolphins team that might be on 0-17 watch and a Chargers team that has looked as bad as anyone through two weeks. If the Raiders keep playing like this on both sides of the ball, they'll move up fast.”
B/R NFL Staff, Bleacher Report — 20
“Kidding aside, the Raiders haven't played a Murderer's Row early—the Miami Dolphins look like the NFL's worst team, and the Los Angeles Chargers look like the league's biggest disappointment… But 2-0 is 2-0—Kirk Cousins flat-out out-played Justin Herbert. Wide receiver Tre Tucker roasted a supposedly solid Chargers defense. The Vegas defense allowed just 14 points and forced three turnovers.”
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated — 21
“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: 20
Last week: 27.25
The Raiders approach a winnable game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 with major implications. The Saints are off to a surprise start to the year as well, but a 3-0 start for Las Vegas will put the team in great position to make the playoffs, as they’ll need only six more wins in their remaining 14 games to be at 9-8 and potentially be within range to sneak into the playoffs come season’s end. Going .500 in that 14-game stretch will put them in ideal position to clinch a playoff berth.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Power Rankings Round-up 2026: Raiders take big leap Week 3
