Klint Kubiak made quite the statement at halftime of the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 bout against the Kansas City Chiefs when he was interviewed on the CBS broadcast.
“We’re gonna win the game," he said.
But just like with so many other things during Sunday's brutal defeat at the hands of the Raiders' AFC West foe, Kubiak was wrong. Las Vegas fell 30-27 at Allegiant Stadium to drop to 3-1 early in the 2026 NFL season in a game that the Silver and Black could have won, but just simply did not.
And Kubiak wasn't the only one at fault; a lot went wrong for the team. It was one of those cascading Raiders losses that fans have come to know over the years but thought we had moved past with this new regime. Biting my tongue a bit, here are some instant reactions to the gut-wrenching loss.
Instant reactions to Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 loss to Kansas City Chiefs
1. Klint Kubiak needs to make better decisions. Whether it was making the Chiefs re-punt it, only to let them fake it and get a first down, or going for it on fourth-and-2 when taking the points could have made the difference in this one, the young coach showed his imperfections on Sunday. He'll learn.
(And calling a win at halftime and not delivering is not the best look, even if the moment probably just got the best of him and Kubiak meant well.)
2. It would be incredible if the Raiders could run the ball. 72 yards on 26 carries (2.8 per attempt) is rarely, if ever, going to get it done. Ashton Jeanty isn't 100%, but that wasn't the entire issue. The blocking was putrid, and some of the play-calling was a bit suspect. But they have to get it done.
3. The run defense in Las Vegas is a joke right now. For as much good as Rob Leonard's unit has done to begin the year, their complete inability to stop the ground game is a thorn in their side. Kenneth Walker III had his way with them, breaking tackles and running through gaping holes. A poor effort.
4. Special teams were not great. Between the fake punt conversion, the big fumble on kick return and several poor decisions by punt returners, the Raiders did not play their best in the third phase. And it really mattered. One good kick return by Dylan Laube and perfection from Matt Gay were highlights.
5. Speaking of the big fumble, Dareke Young just can't cough the ball up in that situation. I get that he's typically a great special teams player, and he made a nice catch early in the contest, but I don't think he's been effective enough to still be on the roster come Monday or Tuesday.
6. Kirk Cousins is slinging it. 31-for-52 for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns with an interception on the final play? I'll take that any day of the week. He's been more mobile than anyone expected, too, and Cousins is making some throws that take real gall and arm strength, so credit to him.
7. This tight end group is unbelievable. Brock Bowers is the head of the snake and fought through holding on every play to catch 8 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Michael Mayer was also unbelievable, with 8 catches for 82 yards. Ian Thomas had a big 27-yard touchdown grab, too.
8. I'll end on a very positive note: this Raiders team seems to be the real deal. 3-1 with a close loss to the Chiefs is a good résumé through four weeks, all things considered, and Las Vegas is way ahead of schedule in its rebuild. A young staff and team lost on Sunday, but they will be just fine.
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