The Las Vegas Raiders are back on the road to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. After opening the campaign at Allegiant Stadium and playing at fan-friendly SoFi Stadium in the first two weeks, the Silver and Black will face their first 2026 opponent in a hostile environment.
Head coach Klint Kubiak is optimistic about tight end Brock Bowers' return this week and told reporters the team won't work out the star tight end before kickoff, which is an indicator that there's a level of certainty about his game-time status, one way or another.
Aside from the buzz about Bowers' recovery, there are plenty of under-the-radar storylines to consider for the Raiders' Week 3 matchup. Here are a few to note that could impact the outcome of the game.
Raiders' safety group and depth could be keys to victory in New Orleans
Breaking down the safety rotation without Treydan Stukes
The Raiders have ruled out safety Treydan Stukes, who's in concussion protocol. In two games, he's played 70 percent of the defensive snaps, so his absence leaves a big void to fill in the secondary.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jeremy Chinn has played the second-most snaps at free safety behind Stukes, which means he may be the direct replacement in center field.
While that seems comforting because of Chinn's experience, he's allowed three receptions on three targets for 41 yards and a touchdown (a perfect 158.3 passer rating) in two outings. Yes, it's a small sample size, but the seventh-year veteran has allowed passer ratings above 105 in five of the six previous seasons.
Many fans are worried about the coaching staff reinserting Isaiah Pola-Mao into the starting lineup because of his lapses in coverage, but they should be just as concerned if Chinn plays a full-time role at free safety.
There are a couple of interesting wrinkles in the Raiders' safety rotation. Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have played the most snaps in the box. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has essentially utilized both as hybrid linebacker-box safeties. If Chinn plays more snaps in center field, Dean and Walker won't see much change in their roles.
Could Dylan Laube carve out a role on third downs?
In two games, Ashton Jeanty has three drops, all of them in last week's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He only had four last season.
Perhaps Jeanty had a one-off bad day in the passing game. Regardless, the Raiders could get Dylan Laube more involved on third downs for short completions.
Jeanty has a complete three-down skill set, but Laube could make an impact in that role as well. In the preseason, he hauled in four of five targets for 50 yards. Thus far, the third-year pro has been the team's primary kick returner while playing just 18 offensive snaps.
Kubiak doesn't need to bench Jeanty on third down, but Laube has at least earned some snaps in that scenario.
Daniel Carlson could be a difference-maker in a revenge game
Las Vegas will see three former Raiders on Sunday: kicker Daniel Carlson, edge rusher Tyree Wilson and cornerback Decamerion Richardson.
Among the three, Carlson has the biggest role on the Saints. He's converted on four of five field-goal attempts and made all four of his extra points.
Kickers aren't the main storyline for NFL games, but in close contests, they immediately become the focus in game-winning situations.
FanDuel has set the odds to Saints (-3) for this matchup. New Orleans is a customary field-goal favorite at home, which suggests these teams are even. If so, this game could come down to the leg of either Raiders kicker Matt Gay or Carlson, who could give his former team its first loss.
Moe Moton writes about the Raiders for Just Blog Baby. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
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