Klint Kubiak wants the Las Vegas Raiders to stay steady after two straight losses. But with expensive signings underperforming and the season slipping, talk alone won’t fix what’s broken.
Kubiak said Monday that he wants his locker room to see the same man whether the team wins or loses, one day after Las Vegas fell 45-17 at the New England Patriots.
Asked at his news conference on Monday how important it is for players to watch how he handles a loss, Kubiak said he tries to be “the same guy, whether you win or you lose.” He said players should be able to count on him to hold them to a standard, tell them the truth when they fall short and say “Good job” when they meet it.
“And we did not win yesterday, and we have a long season ahead of us, and we have big goals,” Kubiak said.
The message arrives at a sensitive moment…
After a 3-0 start, the Raiders (3-2) have lost two straight, including a 30-27 home defeat to Kansas City on Oct. 4. Sunday’s 28-point loss was the widest margin of the season. Las Vegas has scored 44 points over the past two games and allowed 75.
The roster questions are getting louder, too. The Raiders opened the offseason with the most cap space in the NFL, but few of their expensive additions have paid off. Linebacker Nakobe Dean has been the exception. Edge rusher Kwity Paye, who signed a three-year, $48 million contract, carries a 50.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. Center Tyler Linderbaum landed the richest deal ever for an interior offensive lineman, yet the Raiders average 82 rushing yards per game, a bottom-five mark.
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Running back Ashton Jeanty’s ankle injury has thinned an already struggling backfield. It also puts more pressure on a passing game opponents are not respecting. That leaves Kubiak with few easy fixes on the depth chart. If veteran production does not improve, expect Kubiak to lean harder on younger players on rookie contracts. They have been among the roster’s best performers.
The Raiders host Buffalo at 1:25 p.m. PDT Sunday. Is one lopsided loss just a blip, or does it show that the Raiders’ big spending has not fixed the roster? Tell us in the comments.
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