Although the Las Vegas Raiders easily won at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Kirk Cousins showed some red flags that could haunt the team this season. Because the matchup was against a lackluster Miami Dolphins squad, Sin City entered as the favorite. Still, Cousins’ two costly interceptions nearly shifted the tide.
The truth is, this roster isn’t in playoff contention. Klint Kubiak’s intelligence and play-calling raise the floor for this team, but he can’t play on the field himself. This simply isn’t an extremely talented roster, and turnovers could once again prove to be the Achilles’ heel of the Raiders’ season.
Las Vegas will face defenses with more talent…
Week 1 was likely the weakest defense Cousins will face all season. In October alone, the Las Vegas schedule takes a daunting turn, with the Silver and Black facing the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. Controlling the turnover battle will be a necessity against that stretch of opponents.
The most glaring red flag from Week 1 was Cousins throwing two interceptions despite facing little defensive pressure. The Dolphins recorded zero sacks through four quarters. On the bright side, the Raiders’ defense looks stout enough to bail him out in difficult situations.
Related: Raiders’ Week 1 Resolve Could Signal Major Culture Shift
Fernando Mendoza will start very soon…
Once the schedule gets more difficult, Kubiak will have to make a tough decision. Fernando Mendoza showed flashes of greatness in the preseason but also made some disappointing decisions. It’s worth noting that Cousins wasn’t impressive in his last stint in Atlanta: in 2025, the 38-year-old quarterback threw 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games.
The world already knows what Cousins is. For Mendoza, what he’s shown so far is only the floor; he’ll only get better as the season progresses. Despite the experience gap between the two, there isn’t much of a talent gap between the Raiders’ quarterbacks.
Whether it happens in Week 4 or Week 6, there will be a change at quarterback soon. The plan for the No. 1 overall pick to wait a season before playing may not come to fruition after all.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images