The Las Vegas Raiders are sitting pretty at 2-0, clocking their first undefeated start after two games since way back in 2021, and much of it comes down to quarterback Kirk Cousins silencing a whole lot of doubters. After facing some heat despite winning their season opener, Cousins went out and absolutely tore it up against the Los Angeles Chargers, delivering a 26-14 victory. He dropped 19 of 29 passes for 253 yards, tacked on three touchdowns with just one interception, and had me, for one, eating my words.
Captain Kirk Airs It Out and Tre Tucker Shines
One of the big gripes with Cousins in Week 1 was that he wasn’t pushing the ball downfield enough. Well, he must’ve heard the chatter, because this time around, he was slinging it. He connected on a bunch of intermediate to deep shots, including a phenomenal 40-yard bomb to wide receiver Tre Tucker for the Raiders’ first touchdown of the game. And let’s talk about Tucker for a second: the dude was electric, racking up five catches for a team-leading 119 yards and that huge score. It was his second 100-yard game of his career, and he looked fantastic.
Gritty Wins and Humble Praises
What’s even more impressive is how Captain Kirk handled the heat, literally. Vegas’ offensive line had a tough day at the office, giving up a pair of sacks and a whopping 10 quarterback hits. But Cousins just kept getting back up, leading his team to back-to-back double-digit victories. The internet was buzzing with praise, and CBS’s Prisco even said Fernando Mendoza is “put to the back burner,” adding that “Kirk Cousins is the guy moving forward.” It’s clear the guy is playing with a chip on his shoulder, and it’s working. He’s now won his last six starts, going all the way back to his 4-0 finish with the Falcons last year. Even after the game, he was humble, giving credit to the Chargers’ defense for making it tough and their own defense for getting the ball back.
This 2-0 start was definitely not on my bingo card, or PFF’s for that matter. But here we are, and it feels damn good for Raiders fans. With this momentum, the Raiders are set to host the Chiefs in Week 4, and that game is going to be for first place in the AFC West. Talk about high stakes early in the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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