HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — First-year coach Klint Kubiak certainly doesn’t want to hear any talk about playoffs just three weeks into the season.
asserted
Kubiak → want → season
Las Vegas won three games all of last season and now is 3-0 and will welcome the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.
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Vegas → win → Chiefs
The timing couldn’t be much better to face an intense AFC West rival.
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timing → face → rival
“Our job as coaches is to get them dialed in,” Kubiak said Monday.
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Kubiak → get → coaches
“The thing about our team is we have a mature team that’s very goal-oriented and has some strong leadership, and they’re not satisfied with what’s been done for three games.
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what → have → games
“I know it’s a long season, and we know that in order for us to be successful, we just have to just get better every day and have a great Wednesday, Thursday, Friday practice to prepare for the game.
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we → know → game
The Chiefs are part of a challenging stretch of the schedule that is followed by games against New England, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams.
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that → follow → England
From a historical perspective, this is what the Raiders’ 3-0 record means:
— Since the playoff field expanded to seven teams per conference in 2020, 23 of the 28 clubs to open 3-0 made the postseason.
— From 1990-2019 when it was six playoff teams per conference, 109 of 148 advanced.
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148 → mean → conference
Also, the previous time the Raiders began a season 3-0 was in 2021.
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began → begin → 2021
That’s the most recent time they made the playoffs.
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they → ’ → playoffs
Kubiak said he was impressed with how his team picked up its third victory, erasing an 11-point second-half deficit to win 35-27 at New Orleans on Sunday.
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team → say → Sunday
“You don’t really get to find out about somebody until the chips are down and their back’s against the wall,” Kubiak said.
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Kubiak → get → wall
So we found out a lot about guys’ resilience and toughness because everything’s fine if you’re up two scores at the end of the game.
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you → find → game
But what do you do when you’re down two scores?
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you → do → what
”
What’s working
Quarterback Kirk Cousins certainly isn’t playing like a 38-year-old whose job is to keep the seat warm until No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to go.
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Mendoza → work → seat
Cousins became the first QB to open a season with three wins and three touchdown passes in each of those games since Russell Wilson in 2020.
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Cousins → become → 2020
What needs help
Special teams didn’t make winning easier.
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winning → need → help
Dylan Laube fumbled a kickoff return in the third quarter that quickly led to a two-possession lead for the Saints.
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that → fumble → Saints
After the Raiders cut the deficit to five points, Matt Gay sent a kickoff out of bounds to give the Saints possession at their 40-yard line.
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Gay → cut → line
But the Raiders wound up forcing a punt.
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Raiders → wind → punt
Tight end Brock Bowers showed the Raiders what they were missing when he sat out the first two games because of knee surgery.
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he → show → surgery
Bowers, an All-Pro as a rookie in 2024, caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
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Bowers → catch → yards
He often was used out wide with Michael Mayer playing the more traditional inside tight end spot, and Bowers’ ability to move around is a concerning matchup for opponents.
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ability → use → opponents
Take away a 36-yard touchdown by Mike Washington Jr., and the Raiders’ ground game was nearly nonexistent for the second game in a row.
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game → take → row
Washington and starter Ashton Jeanty combined to rush for 74 yards on the other 23 carries.
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Washington → combine → carries
That followed a game against the Los Angeles Chargers in which the two backs combined for 55 yards on 24 attempts.
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backs → follow → attempts
WR Jack Bech broke his arm at New Orleans, but Kubiak said the club hasn’t “made a roster decision yet.”
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club → break → decision
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson (groin) is still being evaluated, and S Treydan Stukes (concussion) could return this week.
uncertain
Stukes → evaluate → ?
QB Aidan O’Connell, whose dad died last week, is expected to be back.
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dad → die → ?
Key number
0 — The number of points the Raiders have allowed in the fourth quarter this season, becoming the first team since Indianapolis and Minnesota in 2022 to accomplish that over the first three games.
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Raiders → allow → games
Next steps
The Raiders host the Chiefs on Sunday.
asserted
Raiders → host → Sunday
The Aporia
