The Raiders shouldn’t crown Klint Kubiak yet

Las Vegas Raiders fans are treating Klint Kubiak like a magical cure. He’s got qualifications but a close dive reveals some major concerns.

The Raiders’ offense has been so shaky for so long that any coach with a clean “offensive mind” label starts to sound like an instant fix. Kubiak might be a good coach, but he is not a guaranteed reset button.

That is why the Minnesota example matters. A lot of the hype starts there. In 2021, the Vikings were solid, moved the ball, and Kirk Cousins produced.

But the context gets lost in the retelling. The 2020 Vikings offense was better in key areas, and 2021 came with an extra 17th game. Even with that added week, Minnesota still dipped in points and yards. That does not mean Kubiak was terrible. It means the “genius” label is getting ahead of the evidence.

A closer look at the Vikings, post-Kubiak…

Minnesota is a useful reminder of perspective. After Kubiak left, the Vikings’ offense did not collapse. It stayed productive, and the team went 13-4 in 2022. That is not a knock on him. It is simply evidence the operation was not dependent on him to function at a high level.

New Orleans is the bigger reality check, because it is where people point to an early-season burst and assume it proves everything. Hot starts matter less when the full season finishes in the middle or bottom tier. In 2024, the Saints ended 24th in points and 21st in yards, and Derek Carr’s per-game yardage fell from 2023. His touchdown rate rose, but the offense’s successful-play rate dipped. That is not a dramatic shift either way, and it is not the profile of a coach who automatically upgrades every unit.

Injuries are part of the context. Carr missed time, and the backup quarterback play was poor. But when the situation is that unstable, it should make people more cautious about big conclusions, not more certain.

Kubiak and the Seahawks’ offense…

Seattle is another place where the story gets oversold. The Seahawks’ scoring jump in 2025 is real, but scoring doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Quarterback play and overall team health still drive most of it.

Even with Seattle improving, Sam Darnold’s 2025 production was not better than his 2024 season without Klint Kubiak. That does not mean Kubiak is bad. It just means the “Kubiak effect” is not as automatic as it is framed.

If you want a player-level check, Rashid Shaheed does not back the legend either. Under Kubiak in 2024, Shaheed’s catch rate and successful-play rate were low. In 2025, he looked more like a steady, every-down weapon before reuniting with Kubiak, and his late-season output after that reunion was modest.

The bottom line is straightforward: Kubiak might be worth interviewing, and he might be worth hiring. But Raiders fans should separate “promising coach” from “sure thing.” The résumé points to competence, not inevitability.