One Play Against Saints Highlighted Raiders' Continued Growth

The Raiders' Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs will be one of the toughest tests they will face this season. The Chiefs will serve as a measuring stick for how much progress the Raiders still need to make. Las Vegas has played three solid games.

Undefeated Raiders

Sunday's game confirmed how much progress Las Vegas has made on both sides of the ball under Kubiak. The Raiders' front office did their part, supplying Kubiak and his staff with solid players. Both the coaching staff and the new-look roster have begun doing their part.

On Sunday, Las Vegas' improved coaching staff shone. Coaching is a big reason the Raiders have not lost a game yet. Against the Saints, coaching was the deciding factor, as seen in the biggest play of the game.

The Play

On fourth-and-one, with the game on the line, the Raiders' interior defensive linemen dropped back into coverage. While they did so, Las Vegas had several extra players rush the passer, some of whom were consistent pass rushers throughout the game, and some who were not.

It looked different from the schematic looks that Las Vegas had given Shough and the Saints throughout the game. The Raiders' defense may not have run the play in its first two games, leaving Shough with little time to prepare for it. The play led to a turnover and secured the Raiders' win.

The Raiders' fourth-down stop was a microcosm of the 2026 Raiders through the season's first three games. Las Vegas' win over the Saints was just the tip of the iceberg for the young team. The Raiders are 3-0, and while the league is offense-driven, Las Vegas' defense has been powering the team.

Las Vegas' front office wisely addressed its coaching and talent disparity this offseason. As the Raiders round out the first quarter of their schedule, it's clear that they'll go as far as their defense takes them. Kubiak shared his thoughts on the unit on Monday morning.

"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,” Kubiak said on Monday.

"We don't win the game without those four turnovers in the fourth quarter. That was impressive how they kept getting the ball back for us on offense, and it just really changed the whole game. And again, that's a big part of winning and losing, is protecting the ball and taking the ball away. So, three games into it, long season to go, and every week's a new challenge. We're starting from scratch now back for Kansas City."

Kubiak refuses to let the team's strong start distract them as they face arguably the league's best team and undoubtedly its best quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. Kubiak explained that he has a plan to keep the players focused on the task at hand.

“That's our job. Our job as coaches is to get them dialed in. The thing about our team is we have a mature team that's very goal oriented and has some strong leadership, and they're not satisfied with what's been done for three games. I know it's a long season, and we know that in order for us to be successful, we just have to just get better every day and have a great Wednesday, Thursday, Friday practice to prepare for the game," Kubiak said.