Raiders vs. Dolphins: Winners & Losers From Las Vegas

Winners and Losers

While yesterday’s win for a rebuilding franchise is a big deal, we will take some time today for a new column that will appear every Monday, discussing winners and losers from the previous weekend.

No. 1: Coaching

All offseason, in countless articles and podcasts, I told you what we were seeing. I was vague and told you ad nauseam that I couldn’t reveal formations to scheme, as it would put the Raiders at a disadvantage.

That said, versus the Dolphins, you saw creativity in all three phases of the game (offense, defense, and special teams) and from the entire staff; the team was far from perfect, and I can assure you this was the lowly Dolphins, and not the Rams or 49ers. You can only play who is on your schedule, and they looked great.

I asked Kubiak about his staff afterward, “I am really proud of the guys. Again, we're not where we want to be. There's things that we got to get better at. We had 12 guys on the field; I'm burning timeouts left and right in the second half because we're having trouble getting lined up. So, we're not a finished product, so we can get better too."

No. 2: Ashton Jeanty

The emerging superstar was sensational and looked exactly like what they expected when they selected him at No. 6 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He ran the ball for 102 yards on 23 carries; he had six receptions for an additional 45 yards and added two touchdowns through the air, and he looked better than those stats suggest.

His head coach raved, "Well, coming off his injury, I'd say it's kind of on par from what we've come to expect from him. He's been a leader throughout, and what he did tonight is what we expect from him. But doing it on a with a bad ankle, with a little bit less practice that he's used to, I think just tells you the kind of guy you're dealing with."

Jeanty made big runs, had an impressive block, and was a warm security blanket for his veteran QB in his 15th year, Kirk Cousins.

His QB had even more praise for him than his head coach.

“I can't say enough good things about Ashton [Jeanty]. He's a very capable runner. You saw it today. He's very capable in the pass game. He's a leader for us. He's a guy who sets a great example, does things the right way. He can put a lot on his plate mentally. And I can't credit enough to our wellness. The team in the training room, getting him back, getting him ready in a short amount of time."

"I think they did a phenomenal job. So credit those guys as well, and Ashton's diligence to put the work in to be ready to go. So proud of his effort today. We really needed him. He was a big reason we won the game."

No. 3: Offensive Line

Under the leadership of the NFL’s best offensive line coach, Rick Dennison, the Raiders OL dominated the Dolphins and were relentless at the point of attack. They looked like bullies, pushing the Dolphins defenders off their mark and opening holes that DT Adam Butler could run through.

Jeanty praised the big men up front who led the way for his terrific performance.

“I mean, relentless out there. I mean, that's how we win games with our O-line. They're a pivotal part of what we do, and they -- it's no surprise to me. I've seen it since we got here and started working in the spring. So, super proud of those guys up front and I know they're going to continue to play at a high level."

Kirk Cousins echoed the praise of his star RB when I asked him about his bodyguards, who didn’t give up a sack and were a key part in my predicting this win.

“I just felt like the run game just kept us in favorable downs and distances throughout much of the game, and so I thought the way we ran the football to start the game, it just made everything easier. Kind of opened up much of the rest of our offense, and so anytime we can run the football like that, it puts us in with a - wind at our back, and I believe there were no sacks as far as I know. So great protection, that's what we love to see."

No. 4: Raider Nation

I have had the privilege of attending every Raiders game and practice at Allegiant Stadium. More times than I can count, opposing fans made up the majority of the crowd, and I've seen the Raiders struggle to make offensive calls countless times because the stadium was so loud for the opposing team.

Not tonight.

By far, from before the game to the end, it was the best crowd for the Raiders in the history of the Raider Nation at Allegiant Stadium. A fact Kubiak couldn’t - and didn’t - ignore when I asked him about them.

"Yeah, we watched a really cool video about the history of the Black Hole and the Silver and Black, and made a big point of earning our way to making this our house. But it's just the support we had, how loud it was on the first drive throughout the game, it was special. It's what this building can be, and obviously it's up to us to earn the respect of those fans."

The Raiders, like all successful NFL franchises, need a real home-field advantage to win regularly at home. They have to earn their fans back; today proved they can, and I think they will. This fan base has suffered over the last twenty-plus years; they want a reason to believe, and Kubiak is the man to deliver it.

No. 5: Connor Heyward

The fullback may have gone out of style in the game of football, but not with Klint Kubiak, and not with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Connor Heyward was sensational today as Kubiak’s secret weapon and was a major key in the win.

Just ask Cousins, "He brings a ton of value. I mean, I've played in a system similar to this many times with fullbacks who may have been afterthoughts in other systems that don't use a fullback, and then when you do use one, you realize how valuable they can be to your offense."

"And so we ask a lot of Connor [Heyward] in protection in the run game, catching the football, and that's really the value of a fullback is what they can - the Swiss Army knife they can be. So he's someone we can put a lot on, and we trust him, and he's another guy with great energy in the huddle. He just wants to be there, wants to get better, and it's fun to play with a guy like that."

Jeanty went even further than Cousins, pointing out that what Heyward did doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but Jeanty’s efforts do, and they are directly related to Heyward.

“I mean he's going to be a big part of what we do, and on that play specifically, I don't get that touchdown unless he makes that block. So, it's great to have a guy out there like that making selfless plays. I get the touchdown, the stat, but the play is made because of what he did out there."

Watch Our Podcast Breaking Down the Win