Kubiak’s first game brings a scoreline Las Vegas had forgotten
Klint Kubiak inherited a team that had spent two seasons at the bottom of the league. His first Sunday in charge ended 27-13 over Miami, and the number itself said plenty. Las Vegas had not won a season opener by double digits since 2017. The margin was their biggest since Week 17 of the 2024 season.
The Raiders did not punt until the fourth quarter. They scored 27 points, a total they managed exactly once across the whole of last season, and that came in a Week 9 defeat. The offensive line held up in a way it rarely did in 2025, opening space that Ashton Jeanty turned into 147 scrimmage yards on 29 touches.
Jeanty scored twice, both through the air. Kubiak leaned hard on two-back sets, running 21 personnel on 24 of the team’s 67 offensive snaps, the highest rate the franchise has posted since tracking began in 2016. Those snaps produced 154 yards and both touchdowns at 6.4 yards a play.
Try it for $0.99.
Kirk Cousins answered one question and left another open
Three touchdown passes and a 70 percent completion rate look clean on a box score. The detail underneath was less comfortable. On throws of 10 or more air yards, Cousins went 1 of 7 for 21 yards with two interceptions and no scores.
He was missing Brock Bowers, his most reliable target. He was also throwing at a Miami secondary whose four starters had three career starts between them. Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick, sat and watched. Every week Cousins cannot threaten a defence downfield will make that conversation louder.
The Raiders have now gone 38 straight games without reaching 30 points, the longest active run in the league. Winning on Sunday does not change the shape of that problem.
Miami looks exactly like a team starting over
Malik Willis made his first start for the Dolphins and spent much of it under pressure, taking five sacks behind a line that could not hold. Miami converted 2 of 10 third downs and turned only one of three red zone trips into points.
The defence never sacked Cousins. Special teams gave up two kick returns of 40 or more yards and missed from 41. Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley inherited a roster that needs time, and the schedule is not offering any. San Francisco is next.
Discover the rest of our NFL news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply