The Las Vegas Raiders emerged victorious against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 to notch their first win of the 2026 NFL season. The team looked improved in nearly every aspect, which helped them control the entire contest for a wire-to-wire 27-13 win.
One thing that really stood out for the Raiders was the coaching staff's versatility and immense attention to detail. It is easy to see that Klint Kubiak and Co. understand the modern NFL game, even if the Dolphins aren't the best barometer.
Speaking of the modern NFL game, advanced stats are now a big part of how teams evaluate themselves and how fans evaluate their teams. So, this is the start of a weekly column in which we will look at the advanced stats and determine which ones stood out for the Silver and Black, good or bad.
Las Vegas Raiders' advanced Week 1 stats paint a clear picture of how they got the job done
Raiders finish #1 in Havoc Rate
The Raiders' defense truly made a mark with its dominance and playmaking. Every level of the defense was flying around, which helped them become number one in Havoc Rate in Week 1, even though they also made several sizeable mistakes.
Havoc rate combines tackles for loss (TFL), sacks, forced fumbles, passes defended or broken up (PBUs), and interceptions. Rob Leonard's defense was all over the field, creating disruption, which led to five sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, six passes defended and 7 TFLs.
If they constantly get their hands on the football and pressure the quarterback, the Raiders will stay at the top of the Havoc Rate metric for most of the season.
Las Vegas' edge rushers shine
The Maxx Crosby trade being voided looks even more like a blessing in disguise for the Raiders after Week 1. Having Crosby back in the mix let him team up with Kwity Paye, and the combination produced fireworks against Miami.
According to PFF, Crosby and Paye combined for 16 pressures on the day. Leonard did a great job of mixing up the defensive line alignments to help create one-on-ones, which allowed Crosby to have his most pressures since 2024, with eight, and he finished with 1.5 sacks.
If Leonard can keep scheming these two players into the best matchup available, it will do wonders for the defense. The plan looks set to succeed after Week 1.
Kirk Cousins struggled against the blitz
While most of the team performed well, one player was inconsistent: starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who made decisions that helped keep Miami in the game.
Where Cousins struggled specifically was against the blitz. Cousins was 6-for-11 against the blitz for 44 yards and threw an interception. While the Dolphins did send the house a few times, the offensive line picked it up. However, Cousins still struggled when no pressure was allowed on the plays.
This is something to monitor going forward to see if Cousins can bounce back from an average performance. The coaching staff will be counting on him this week to raise his play, and if he can't, then the Mendoza Meter will start ramping up.
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