HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Miami took away the deep pass in the season opener, so the Las Vegas Raiders relied on their rushing and short-yard passing game to beat the Dolphins.
Then on Sunday, the Chargers made sure they wouldn't be beaten on the ground, so Las Vegas took the air with an aggressive passing attack to defeat Los Angeles.
Two different opponents, two different ways for the offense to succeed for the surprising 2-0 Raiders.
“There’s a lot of
ways to win a game,” coach Klint Kubiak said Monday. "Offense, defense and special teams all playing together is the best way to ensure a win. But it’s never going to be perfect, and I thought big credit to the Chargers that took away the run game.”
The run game was crucial to beating the Dolphins with Ashton Jeanty rushing for 102 yards and Mike Washington Jr. for 41. Kirk Cousins passed for 160 yards, averaging 7.6 yards in the air per attempt, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Cousins upped that average to 9.4 against the Chargers, passing for 253 yards that included two completions of 40-plus yards to Tre Tucker. Jeanty, meanwhile, rushed for 48 yards on 21 carries and Washington was given just three attempts that produced 7 yards.
But even though the Raiders opened up the passing attack, the fact Jeanty still carried 21 times underscored Kubiak's commitment to running the offense through the ground game.
“That’s always going to be a part of it,” Kubiak said. “I thought Cousins did a great job of going through his progressions and getting it to the back when it wasn’t there, and our receivers did a good job getting up and down the field.”
And now the Raiders are 2-0, the first team to open a season with that record after winning three or fewer games the previous year since Houston in 2014.
This also is the Raiders' first 2-0 start since 2021, the most recent time they made the playoffs.
“I think it just reinforces the messages that we’ve been sending,” Kubiak said. "Our guys have been very coachable and our guys want to win. Winning is important to this team, it’s important to this coaching staff. We also have very short memories and know that you can only win one at a time. So we’re turning the page and now we get to prepare to play a really good Saints team.”
The pass rush continues to flourish, and it's not all Maxx Crosby. Las Vegas has eight sacks, tied with two other teams to lead the NFL entering Monday and its 47.1% pressure rate is second, according to TruMedia. Crosby has 1 1/2 sacks, which occurred in the opener against Miami. He was responsible for forcing a holding penalty in the end zone against the Chargers that resulted in a safety.
Offense has dried up during some stretches in the first two games, and much of that is because of the Raiders' struggles on third downs. They have converted a third of their chances, which is tied with Seattle for 22nd entering Monday.
So much for not having a true No. 1 receiver or tight end Brock Bowers, who hasn't played this season because of knee surgery. Tucker caught five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Cody White, called up from the practice squad, hauled in two TD passes, a 13-yarder in tight coverage to take the lead in the third quarter and 11-yarder in the fourth to essentially seal the victory. He is the first player since 2016 to score two TD passes despite playing seven or fewer snaps.
Forget his 2.3-yard rushing average. Jeanty didn't have a lot of room to run because the Raiders' offensive line was overwhelmed by the Chargers' defensive front. But his three dropped passes are difficult to ignore. The last one occurred on third-and-1 with 6:59 left and the Raiders clinging to a 17-14 lead. Las Vegas got the job done in the end, but that drop could have been costly.
Bowers (knee) will practice this week, Kubiak said. He almost was cleared to play at Los Angeles. CB Darien Porter (foot) will be evaluated in practice Wednesday. S Treydan Stukes is in concussion protocol.
14 — The Raiders have allowed those number of points or fewer in each of the first two games for the first time since 1995. Going back to last season, Las Vegas has held opponents to that mark or less three games in a row, the first time the Raiders have accomplished that since 2006.
The Raiders visit New Orleans on Sunday.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
