The Raiders did not stumble into 2-0.
asserted
Raiders → stumble → 2
They handled the Dolphins in their season opener, then went to Los Angeles and beat the Chargers in a stadium where their considerable crowd advantage has too often gone to waste.
asserted
advantage → handle → waste
And certainly no reason to hand them back because the opponents might have arrived with their own problems.
uncertain
opponents → hand → problems
Winning in the NFL is difficult.
asserted
Winning → win → NFL
Winning while introducing a new coaching staff, a new quarterback and a different way of doing business deserves acknowledgment.
asserted
Winning → win → acknowledgment
As one of eight teams with a 2-0 record, they have earned the right to enjoy that distinction, along with the possibility that their rebuilding project might be moving faster than expected.
But they have also earned a more demanding question.
uncertain
they → earn → question
Somewhere between “it was only the Dolphins” and “the Chargers just aren’t right at the moment” is a reasonable conversation about what the Raiders have accomplished and how much it tells us about where they are going.
asserted
they → accomplish → us
Two games can reveal improvement.
asserted
games → reveal → improvement
They can also flatter a team.
asserted
They → flatter → team
With that in mind, consider Sunday’s trip to New Orleans a first-quarter exam on the season and the clearest assessment yet of the Raiders’ progress.
asserted
trip → consider → progress
The Saints offer a useful combination of challenges: a dangerous young quarterback in Tyler Shough, a premier receiving threat in Chris Olave and a home-opening crowd coming off a road win over the Ravens.
asserted
Saints → offer → Ravens
The Raiders will have to supply their own energy.
asserted
Raiders → have → energy
That matters because their first two games came with some environmental assistance.
asserted
games → matter → assistance
Their first road assignment was at SoFi Stadium, where Raiders fans once again made themselves impossible to ignore.
asserted
themselves → make → Stadium
The noise Sunday will serve a different purpose.
asserted
noise → serve → purpose
It will try to scramble Kirk Cousins’ instructions, speed up the Raiders’ decisions and turn a manageable third down into a procedural disaster before the ball is snapped.
asserted
ball → try → disaster
For a team still learning how to win together, that is a meaningful step up.
asserted
that → learn → team
Can the Raiders remain organized when communication becomes difficult?
asserted
communication → remain → ?
Can they answer a Saints touchdown without treating the next possession like an emergency?
asserted
they → answer → emergency
Can they absorb a bad break without giving New Orleans another one?
asserted
they → absorb → one
Those answers will tell us considerably more than another week of debating the quality of their first two opponents.
asserted
answers → tell → opponents
Klint Kubiak has given the Raiders reasons to feel good about the process.
asserted
Kubiak → give → process
His steady demeanor has been accompanied by a willingness to push when opportunities present themselves.
asserted
opportunities → accompany → themselves
His offense has shown enough structure to suggest the Raiders can create advantages rather than simply hope an exceptional individual effort rescues them.
asserted
effort → show → them
But the next stage is sustaining that operation when the opponent and the environment are applying pressure simultaneously.
asserted
opponent → sustain → pressure
That responsibility starts with Cousins.
asserted
responsibility → start → Cousins
The veteran quarterback was brought to Las Vegas, in part, to help a young team navigate afternoons like this.
asserted
team → bring → this
His value Sunday will extend beyond completions and passing yards.
asserted
value → extend → completions
It will show up in getting the offense into the right play, recognizing when a possession needs protecting and understanding when an opportunity demands aggression.
asserted
opportunity → show → aggression
Helping him means giving Ashton Jeanty room to work and keeping the offense out of the long-yardage situations that allow a loud stadium to get louder.
asserted
stadium → help → situations
It also means capitalizing early.
asserted
It → mean → ?
The Raiders have scored 27 first-half points through two games.
asserted
Raiders → score → games
The Saints have managed six.
asserted
Saints → manage → six
If those tendencies carry into Sunday, Las Vegas could have an opportunity to establish control.
uncertain
Vegas → carry → control
But the Saints just beat Baltimore after falling behind.
asserted
Saints → beat → Baltimore
Assuming the hard part is over would be dangerous.
asserted
part → assume → ?
The Raiders’ defense has its own chance to validate what we have seen.
asserted
we → have → what
A pressure rate of 47.1%, second in the NFL, suggests a group capable of making quarterbacks uncomfortable.
uncertain
quarterbacks → suggest → group
With Saints starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. unavailable, Maxx Crosby should have opportunities against replacement Asim Richards.
asserted
Crosby → start → Richards
On the field, the Raiders still have to make it one.
asserted
it → have → field
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
