The Las Vegas Raiders are straight up perfect right now, sitting at a shocking 3-0 after a wild comeback win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. This 3-0 start is their best since the 2021 season, a year that saw them finish 10-7 and actually make a playoff berth, and Kirk Cousins is absolutely at the heart of it all.
The Fourth-Quarter Fumble Frenzy
Sunday’s game at the Caesars Superdome felt like it was slipping away from the Raiders, with Saints quarterback Tyler Shough having a career day. The dude threw four touchdowns, tossing a pair to tight end Noah Fant and another two to Juwan Johnson. That last 16-yard score to Fant even put the Saints up by 11 points! But that’s when everything flipped. The Raiders defense got to Shough, forcing a fumble that Maxx Crosby recovered, setting up a crucial 4-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Cody White. Just three plays later, Shough made his one true mistake, throwing a bad interception right to rookie Hezekiah Masses, who took it back into scoring position. Boom! Another touchdown, this time a 4-yarder to Brock Bowers. Shough tried to rally, connecting for a huge 22-yard pass to Johnson, but then fumbled again after Jeremy Chinn drilled him in the backfield. The Saints got the ball one last time, only for Johnson to fumble it away, too. That fourth turnover in the fourth quarter alone sealed the deal for the Raiders.
Cousins Keeps Things Rolling
When you look at the numbers, Cousins definitely delivered in crunch time. He finished the game going 22-of-33 for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Shough, despite his career-high four TDs, ended up 29-of-42 for 255 yards with that one crucial interception, and the Saints dropped to 1-2. Ashton Jeanty contributed 56 yards on 19 carries, while rookie Brock Bowers had a massive day, snagging 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. The offense is making plays, but the defense turning things over like that late in the game is how you steal wins.
It’s been a crazy ride for the Raiders franchise, with six different head coaches in the past six seasons. But Klint Kubiak has them rolling, and here’s the kicker: they’re doing it all without their reigning No. 1 overall draft pick, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, playing a single snap! Cousins has things totally handled, and it’s hard to imagine Kubiak feeling any rush to turn to the presumed quarterback of the future right now. The Raiders still have a long way to go to make what would be only their second postseason berth since moving to Nevada, and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2002. But man, a 3-0 start is a heck of a way to kick things off. Let’s see if they can keep this momentum going!
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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