What an incredible start to the Klint Kubiak era for the Las Vegas Raiders.
It certainly wasn't perfect, or even pretty at times, but the Raiders thoroughly outplayed their AFC counterpart en route to a well-deserved and quite promising 27-13 victory. No, the Miami Dolphins are not supposed to be one of the NFL's best teams in 2026, but a win is a win in this league. 1-0.
Kubiak's team came ready to play and brought the juice in all three phases of the game and overcame some miscommunications, self-inflicted wounds and typical early-season disjointedness. But it was clear from start to finish who the better team was, and a raucous Las Vegas crowd helped the cause.
Although it hasn't all fully sunk in yet, and some deeper analysis of the game and all its parts needs to be made, let's kick off our post-game coverage with eight pressing thoughts from this early Raiders win, with a few extra shoutouts at the end.
8 instant reactions from Las Vegas Raiders' Week 1 win over Miami Dolphins
1. Offensive line looked tremendous
Is giving up zero sacks and helping create 130 yards on the ground good? Sorry, this is uncharted territory for me as a fan after watching Las Vegas play over the last few seasons. In all seriousness, though, Rick Dennison had this group firing on all cylinders, both in pass pro and run blocking.
Skill position guys also contributed to the blocking effort in a big way. If not for the Dolphins knowing that the Raiders were running and selling out at the end of the game, the yards per carry would have been higher than 3.7. But Las Vegas dominated in the trenches, and Kirk Cousins had all day to throw.
2. Ashton Jeanty is the real deal
Who could have predicted that Jeanty would be a monster with competence around him? Certainly not every single Raiders fan on the planet. But that came to life in Week 1, as Jeanty pitched in 147 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the team in yards on the ground and through the air.
Not only was Jeanty given lanes to run through, but he paved several himself, squeezing through every nook and cranny of the Miami defense and using his great vision and problem-solving skills to find extra yards. Plus, he is a matchup nightmare coming out of the backfield. Good luck, NFL.
3. Kirk Cousins can be effective, but is very limited
Cousins was stunningly efficient in the first half, and it's clear that he can be effective in this offense when the ground game is humming and Las Vegas can dink and dunk. But throwing the ball downfield was a nightmare for Cousins and the Raiders on Sunday.
Both of Cousins' interceptions came on throws of 10 or more yards, and he only completed one pass of 10 or more yards all day. Cousins struggled under pressure and his arm generally looked even weaker than anticipated, so there is cause for concern here, even if he had a solid day in a lot of ways.
4. Foley Fatukasi will be a big factor on defense
Fatukasi got the start for Las Vegas and was everywhere against the Dolphins. He didn't play as much in the second half, but he still notched 4 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit and a batted pass in only 18 snaps. He also had two quarterback hurries.
5. Raiders' defense was good, but needs to find another level
Las Vegas did a lot of good things on defense, starting with 5 sacks, 2 takeaways, 7 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and 23 total pressures. They did not make life easy on Malik Willis and Miami in a lot of ways. But in other ways, they did.
It appeared that the unit had miscommunications on the back end, and the pass rush had a few lulls, as well as plays where they clearly lost contain on a mobile quarterback. This group did plenty against a bad Dolphins offense, but they need to buckle down more with tough foes on the horizon.
They did a heck of a job on Miami star running back De'Von Achane, though.
6. Good LBs make a huge difference for Las Vegas
Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean starred in the center of the Raiders' defense. Dean did give up one big completion, and Walker had a pass interference called on him, but other than that, Las Vegas saw what an asset it can be to have a legit pair of linebackers patrolling the second level.
Not only did they fly downhill for tackles, but both assisted in rushing the passer. They combined for 12 tackles, and Dean notched two tackles for loss and a sack. Perfect run fits, blitzing ability and good coverage, for the most part, sound like a great combination for Rob Leonard's crew.
7. Special teams was a mixed bag, but mostly good
On one end of things, the Raiders had several great returns, as Malik Benson made two nice jaunts on punt returns, and Dylan Laube exploded for 95 yards on his two kick returns, both of which set up touchdown drives. But Las Vegas also gave up a huge return and had some special teams penalties.
Matt Gay was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals and extra points, and A.J. Cole brought his bazooka of a right leg with him. And the Raiders had a nice play where they downed the ball deep in Miami territory. So, a lot of good to work with here, but not a perfect performance by any means.
Bonus: Klint Kubiak coached a great game
Well done, coach. This team came out with tons of fire and played incredibly hard and, for the most part, very clean. Again, there is so much to work on, but this was a great starting point for the Raiders' young coach, as the team played well and he made no glaringly poor decisions.
Extra shoutouts: Cody White and Zeke Masses
White made some nice blocks on offense, and he had a touchdown-saving tackle on the Dolphins' big return. And props to Masses for coming off the bench after sitting the whole game and making a big PBU on the first play. He was tested immediately, and he answered.
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