The Las Vegas Raiders are sitting pretty at 3-0, matching their total wins from last season already. Seriously, 3-0 for the first time since 2021! This whole undefeated start has completely flipped the script for them. Before the season, most folks, even the super-optimistic Raiders fans, thought they’d top out at eight or nine wins and maybe sniff the playoffs. Now? With a chance to grab first place in the AFC West after this first quarter of the season, a postseason berth feels way more realistic. It’s wild what a few good games can do for expectations, even if those wins came against a “lowly” Dolphins squad and a “dysfunctional mess” of a Chargers team that’s 0-3.
The Silver and Black Are Steppin’ Up, For Now
Look, the Raiders are about to hit a brick wall. Their schedule for the next four weeks is brutal: the Chiefs (this Sunday!), then the Patriots on the road, followed by the Bills and the Rams. That stretch is gonna tell us everything about whether they’re actual contenders or just got lucky early on. But here’s the undeniable truth: this franchise is moving in the right direction. They’re no longer stuck at the bottom of the league, and their rebuild is looking ahead of schedule. We’ve seen teams stumble after a hot start, but for now, they’re riding high, and that’s gotta feel good for their fans.
Cousins and Bowers: A Familiar Feeling, Thanks to JSN
Speaking of riding high, Kirk Cousins is absolutely slinging it, leading the NFL with nine touchdown passes. And get this: Brock Bowers is back, and he lit up New Orleans with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in his return. Bowers is exactly who they thought he’d be: a go-to target who can just win those intermediate routes. He’s the absolute centerpiece of Klint Kubiak’s offense. It’s almost crazy they put up 53 combined points in the two games without him, but it’s no shocker that their offense had its best showing of the season once he was back. Here’s where it gets interesting for us Emerald City die-hards: Kubiak is using Bowers in a way that sounds mighty familiar. He’s deploying him just like he did our own Jaxon Smith-Njigba last year, when JSN was the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year for our Seahawks. Our guy Smith-Njigba was lining up all over the place for Seattle, causing headaches for defenses everywhere. It just goes to show you, even across the league, coaches are looking at what we do here in Seattle and learning a thing or two.
So, this Sunday, the Chiefs face the Raiders in a Week 4 matchup that’s gonna test everything Vegas thinks it knows about itself. Can they hang with the big dogs, or will this “gantlet” expose them? This next stretch is gonna be a massive statement for their whole season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
Leave a Reply