The Las Vegas Raiders are straight-up 3-1 at the quarter pole of the 2025 NFL season, and man, what a start it’s been for them. They’ve looked dominant in their three wins and were super competitive even in their single loss.
Kubiak’s Crew Is Firing on All Cylinders
This is Klint Kubiak’s first year as a head coach, and he has opened eyes across the NFL. Seriously, the league is watching the Raiders with a new intensity. The biggest surprise of the quarter? It’s gotta be the whole operation. This team went from looking bad to being incredibly competitive in basically no time. Under Kubiak, they’ve become a competent, dangerous squad, and it happened fast. On the flip side, the worst surprise has been their running game. After a strong Week 1 showing, it hasn’t been good, and everyone expected it to be way better. They gotta get that figured out.
MVPs Making Moves, Rookie Turning Heads
Let’s talk MVPs. On offense, it’s gotta be quarterback Kirk Cousins. When they signed him, the word was he’d be a mentor, a temporary guy before No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza took over. But Cousins, who’s 38, isn’t showing any signs of giving up that starting job. The dude has thrown 11 touchdown passes and is a perfect fit for Kubiak’s offense, finding that same success he had back in Minnesota.
Defensively, linebacker Nakobe Dean is the MVP. He came in as a free agent and he is absolutely flourishing in the middle of that Raiders’ defense. People are calling him the “glue” of the unit, and for good reason. He’s a heat-seeking missile and a forced fumble machine, always around the ball when the play is happening. And don’t sleep on rookie cornerback Zeke Masses. This fifth-round draft pick stepped into a starting role in Week 2 and hasn’t looked back. Masses already has three interceptions and is making a serious case for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is a playmaker, plain and simple.
What’s Next for the Silver and Black?
Looking ahead to the next quarter, the Raiders have a tough stretch. They play at the New England Patriots, host the Buffalo Bills, host the Los Angeles Rams, and then play at the New York Jets. The word on the street is they’ll go 2-2 through those games, putting them at a 5-3 record by midseason. If that happens, they’ll be very much in the playoff mix, and that’s a huge deal. They gotta maintain this energy and get that run game sorted to make sure they’re not just in the mix, but kicking down the door.
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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