Will Kirk Cousins’ Limitations Stall Raiders’ Offense?

Sep 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) exits the field after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will Kirk Cousins’ Limitations Stall Raiders’ Offense?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tyler Bischoff | Last updated Sep 15, 2026 9:30 AM ET

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The Raiders offense had a good start to the season. Las Vegas put up 27 points. Ashton Jeanty topped 100 yards. Kirk Cousins wasn’t sacked and threw for three touchdowns.

But there was one glaring issue: Cousins couldn’t complete passes down the field.

In his first start for the Raiders, Cousins completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards. The paltry number of yards is due to the lack of completions down the field. When throwing at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, Cousins completed just 1 of 7 passes with two interceptions.

The Dolphins caught more of Cousins’ intermediate and deep passes than Cousins’ own teammates.

Cousins’ Struggles in Atlanta

This is not a new issue for Cousins. Last season in Atlanta, he was one of the worst intermediate and deep passers in the NFL, as he completed 35 of 86 passes that traveled 10 yards or more past the line of scrimmage.

However, he only threw one interception last season on those 86 attempts. He has already surpassed that in one game with the Raiders.

Las Vegas knew this when signing Cousins. It is a big reason why he was available to be the bridge quarterback the Raiders wanted. But seeing it in game action could make the concerns bigger if it costs the Raiders a chance at wins.

The Raiders were able to play from ahead in Week 1. A fortunate matchup with the Dolphins meant the offense didn’t need to do much of anything in the second half to win. Cousins will have to make some plays downfield in the future if the Raiders are going to continue winning.

Fernando Mendoza’s Timeline

The Raiders want their first-overall pick to develop. Fernando Mendoza is supposed to watch and learn while Cousins takes all of the snaps.

If that is truly the plan, Cousins’ play won’t have any impact on when Mendoza plays. It will simply come down to when Mendoza is deemed ready.

But the Raiders made Mendoza the second-string quarterback over Aidan O’Connell, meaning if Cousins gets hurt, Mendoza will be on the field whether he has learned enough or not. The Raiders aren’t truly committed to Mendoza’s development, and a few games of Cousins struggling to hit downfield passes could accelerate the rookie’s timeline.

Stacking the Box

One of the key issues with Cousins’ deep ball struggles is how it could impact the run game. The Dolphins were able to put eight men in the box on 34.8 percent of Ashton Jeanty’s carries. That is more than double the amount of eight-man boxes Jeanty saw last season.

The Raiders were winning by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, which also incentivizes the defense to load up to stop the run. Miami did just that in the fourth quarter; Jeanty had eight carries for four yards in the final 15 minutes.

If Cousins can’t hit passes downfield consistently, defenses will be able to sell out to stop the run with little fear of allowing a big play.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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