HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders (3-0) are hosting their AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs (3-0), on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, and the Silver and Black are riding a wave of emotion and goodwill that they haven’t experienced in years.
But with the looming battle on Sunday, let’s put their win over the New Orleans Saints to rest with our report card. After watching the film, talking to people around the team, and hearing from NFL analysts who covered the game, I gave you winners and losers. Now, I’ll give you the grades.
Offense: A
The Raiders had a terrific game plan led by Klint Kubiak, which garnered 340 total yards and 35 points. The goal each week is to score 24 points. The Raiders scored 11 more points than the goal, and Kubiak was methodical.
People seem to forget that other NFL teams have highly paid players as well, and the team made key adjustments while also penalizing the Saints for putting so much personnel and effort into stopping the run. The Raiders ran for 113 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry, but for the second week in a row, they made their living by throwing with great success because their opponent was so committed to stopping the run.
One big thing to note was how Klint Kubiak discussed Mike Washington Jr.’s (MWJ) play. “Mike [Washington Jr.] made a really big impact on the game and definitely earned more opportunities.”
I agree with Kubiak. MWJ has earned more carries, and I expect that workload to increase on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Defense: A
Your first reaction to an “A” grade may be surprise, but when you watch the tape, it shouldn’t be. A defense wants to keep the offense in check; that isn’t mind-blowing or deep, but the reality is that NFL rules favor the offense, and the league wants points.
So when a team sets its goal at 23 points or below for the defense, you have to remember that not all offenses are created equal.
The Saints have a terrific scheme, coaching, and players. Are they the Kansas City Chiefs with the best coach in the NFL, Andy Reid, the best QB in Patrick Mahomes, and a bevy of terrific and talented players? No.
But for the Silver and Black, without Treydan Stukes at starting safety, and with injuries at several positions and youth at many more, to invade New Orleans and hold them to 27 points was an outstanding job.
Kubiak praised the aggression of his first-year DC Rob Leonard, and he should have.
“I think just the whole staff; the whole defensive staff are doing a great job getting on the same page with each other. And nothing was perfect yesterday but found a way to get it done. Great communication on the sideline, and just a credit to the players for finishing the game four turnovers, that was the game right there.”
I asked one NFL executive who reviewed the game film for his thoughts on the Raiders’ vastly improved defense.
His answer was very enlightening. “I think the defensive line’s effort on Sunday will probably be underrated. New Orleans refused to give them time to get home [Pressure on the QB] yet they kept coming. You could see from the first play in the fourth quarter by the Saints their offensive line was wearing down. Robbie’s [Rob Leonard] substitution pattern were perfect. He set his guys up to succeed.”
He added, “The Raiders linebackers are playing as good as anyone in the league right now. They are flying around, and Nakobe Dean who has always played at a high level, is playing the best football of his career. Not sure anyone green dot in the league is playing better than him.“
Finally, he said about the Raiders’ defensive backfield, “Everyone in the league could have had Masses [Hezekiah Masses, Rookie CB] and we all passed. I know he is a case study for us to see what we missed. How that young man played against Chris Olave should have every owner in the league asking their GM how they missed on him.”
“Taron [Johnson] is playing like he always does, out of his mind. He does the little things that don’t get you praise from fans, but get noticed by opponents. Chinn, like Dean has always been a really good player, but he is playing his best football as well.”
He added, “That Raiders D is legit, and no one is going to shut the Saints or even the guys you got this weekend out, but they are a legit defense. Have to stay healthy and weather those young player miscues.”
That tells you everything you need to know about the Silver and Black D. Not from a media member, but from an NFL executive.
I will get more into Sunday’s matchup later in the week, but if the Raiders’ D plays the way they did Sunday and holds the Chiefs under 30 points, that will be a major key to an upset for the home team at Allegiant Stadium.
Special Teams: B-
Matt Gay was sensational when asked to kick field goals and extra points. But a key kickoff mistake was costly, and two failed two-point conversions hurt. Sure, the Raiders got the win, but the quality of the opponent goes up exponentially this weekend, and if the Raiders repeat those three mistakes, they won’t win.
As the team ups the ante, their margin for error shrinks. The Chiefs can afford to make a few mistakes and still win. The Raiders can’t afford any.
Joe DeCamillis is a superstar special teams coordinator, and Matt Gay is a terrific kicker. Kubiak is a brilliant play caller and schemer; a “B-” is nothing to be ashamed of.
But when the dust settles on Sunday night, if the Raiders are celebrating like they did this week, it won’t be with a “B-” grade on the day.
Coaching: A
Kubiak’s masterful patience, rather than panicking as this organization and many of his predecessors did, is why the Raiders won.
I would go a step further and say that no previous Raiders coach in the last 20+ years of futility would have won that game. Kubiak doesn’t overthink things. He trusts both himself and his staff. Every Raiders coach I have covered in the past would have panicked and changed their game plan on both offense and defense last week.
Sure, the Silver and Black made some adjustments, but they didn’t abandon anything, and as mentioned with Leonard above, they stayed the course and wore their opponent down.
Even the special-teams mistakes were player mistakes, not on DeCamillis, who had a flawless plan, and this Raiders staff, for the second week in a row, showed they could have switched sides, and I believe the Saints would have won.
I told Raider Nation before the season that this franchise finally had cohesion, continuity, coaching, complexity, and competency. This group proves it every week and makes me look smarter than I probably am.
Raider Nation: A+
I shared this story after the game, but it bears repeating here. As the game was coming to a close, I was in the elevator going down into the bowels of the Superdome for the postgame press conferences.
I was with a fellow Raiders TV reporter and a bevy of Saints media. The talk in the elevator was about how loud and “annoying” it was to hear them.
It wasn’t the percentage of fans; it was the week before at Allegiant Stadium south (Grrrr), I mean SoFi Stadium, but Raider Nation, as they always do, was in the house, impacted the game, and was nothing short of amazing.
Raider players and coaches noticed, and so did the NFL world watching at home.
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