Are the Raiders for real? Chiefs test awaits in battle of unbeatens - USA Today

NEW ORLEANS – The Las Vegas Raiders needed 17 games last season to notch three wins.

In 2026, the new-look Raiders have already matched that total through three weeks.

Head coach Klint Kubiak remains undefeated, quarterback Kirk Cousins plays with a toughness his younger self would be proud of, tight end Brock Bowers is as dynamic as pass-catching targets come in this game and edge rusher Maxx Crosby must be happy his offseason trade to the Baltimore Ravens was nullified at the eleventh hour.

The Raiders are 3-0 for the first time since 2021 after beating the New Orleans Saints 35-27 on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Caesars Superdome.

“We have a lot of work to," Crosby said. "It’s early. It’s September.”

Everybody playing for one another is something Crosby has noticed, though.

“It’s as simple as that," said Crosby, who would have been playing in Brazil with the Ravens this Sunday had the team not nixed his medical records during the trade approval process in March. "Guys enjoy being around each other. Guys enjoy putting in the work together and finding solutions instead of complaining or looking for an out.”

It's a four-quarter game, Kubiak said.

Kubiak added: “They believe in each other. They’re a tight group. It wasn’t pretty, but they found a way.”

Cousins, who finished 22-of-38 passing for 248 yards, is the lone NFL signal-caller to start the first three games of the season with three touchdown passes in each one. First overall pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza can keep that clipboard in his hand and the seat on the bench warm.

“It’s just a privilege to be part of this team and be building something,” Cousins said.

Signed to what is basically a one-year deal, Cousins hopes the good times can outlast his tenure. He wants to be sitting at home years from now, watching the Raiders still having the success that he and his teammates helped lay the foundation for in 2026.

“That’s the hope,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

Bowers had 10 catches (13 targets) for 116 yards and a score in his first game of the season, his campaign delayed by minor knee surgery the week of the season opener.

The Raiders took out the lowly Miami Dolphins days later. They then shocked with a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, but the state of that opponent is not quite inspiring after another loss on Sunday. Now a home date against the Kansas City Chiefs, also 3-0, awaits – with first place in the AFC West on the line.  

"It’s three games out of the year," Kubiak said. "(We're) not taking anybody’s flowers. It’s a one-game season from here on out every week.”

But who could have predicted that would be the case three weeks ago? Regardless, the "Black Hole" faithful were rewarded for their trip to the "Big Easy."

“The locker room’s unbelievable," Bowers said. "It’s a very connected group of guys. I think that’s why we all mesh together and trust each other and play so hard for one another. I’m just really, really happy to be a part of it.”

Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum, a prized free-agency acquisition who came over from the Ravens, noted the resilience of the guys who have been through recent losing seasons with Las Vegas. The coaching staff preached everybody being on the same page. And once the players take the field, it’s on them.

“Honestly, the coaching staff pushing us, trying to get us into the right positions, the players being receptive of that – I think that’s what you need with a team,” Linderbaum said.

The new guys, Linderbaum said, have focused on being themselves. They wanted to provide an identity of how to play – and prepare for – each snap. Linebacker Nakobe Dean, another free-agent signing (he won a Super Bowl in this building with the Philadelphia Eagles), forced the game-sealing fumble as one example.

In the third quarter against the Saints, another newcomer – rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. – scored his first career touchdown to cut the Saints 27-16 lead.

The Raiders picked up an assist from the refs with when Malcom Koonce stripped Saints quarterback Tyler Shough on a close play, in which Shough’s right arm was nearly moving forward before the ball came out. The loose pigskin was recovered by Crosby, and the Raiders scored on the ensuing possession – not before guard Spencer Burford got away with egregious hold a couple plays before Cousins found Cody White for the go-ahead score.  

“It’s all about connection," Crosby said. "We have a great group and guys who love playing football together.”

Shough and New Orleans coughed up the ball on four straight drives, with the second-year quarterback throwing an interception to rookie Hezekiah Masses on the next possession and the Saints fumbling (what would have been a turnover on downs anyway) after that. Bowers’ touchdown, to make it 35-27, occurred between those giveaways. Then Dean stripped Saints tight end Juwan Johnson to put the game away.

“It’s a 17-game season. We can’t be happy or satisfied with this win," Kubiak said. "We put ourselves in good position. We know what’s coming to our place next week in the Chiefs. So we just take it one game a time and that’s how you win games. You don’t look too far ahead, you don’t look behind you. You just keep your eyes on the prize and you get better every day."