In some ways, the Las Vegas Raiders are a lot like the Buffalo Bills.
That probably sounds crazy, and I promise that I'm not inferring that the Silver and Black will be competing for a Super Bowl this year, nor saying that the Raiders have an all-world quarterback. At least not yet. But these two franchises went through a lot of the same changes this offseason.
Las Vegas hired a first-time head coach from the offensive coordinator ranks in Klint Kubiak and a first-time play-caller on the defensive side in Rob Leonard. The Bills did the same with Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard, and each team promoted one of those leaders from within. They're similar situations.
Obviously, the expectation is that Buffalo will pick up where they left off and make a run at an AFC title, and the Raiders are just hoping to show some promise and reach seven wins. And in that way, these two franchises couldn't be in more different spots ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
However, it is reassuring to know that even the best teams in the NFL made drastic changes this offseason, and that doesn't necessarily preclude the Silver and Black from having immediate success. But with a tough schedule in a brutal division, the road is treacherous for Kubiak's team.
Among those difficult opponents is, of course, the Buffalo Bills. To familiarize ourselves with this intra-conference foe, we reached out to Brandon Ray, a writer for BuffaLowDown, FanSided's dedicated Bills website. He gave us some key information that Raider Nation needs to get their eyes on.
Las Vegas Raiders are up against it in Week 6 with new-look Buffalo Bills
Q: The Raiders and Bills (surprisingly) mirror each other in a lot of ways, with a new young HC from the offensive ranks and a first-time defensive coordinator. What is the confidence level in Buffalo with all of these new moving pieces?
A: The confidence level is mixed amongst the fans, but there is still some sense of continuity with Joe Brady being promoted. There will obviously be some growing pains, but the overall sense is that the Bills will be operating in a different fashion under Brady as compared to Sean McDermott. I've said it before; change can be scary but it was also necessary for Buffalo because what they have done under McDermott just simply wasn't enough.
Q: Fans pretty much know what to expect from Joe Brady. But what has the buzz been around Jim Leonhard, and what could this defense look like?
A: Fans are super excited for what Jim Leonhard could bring to this defense. It's a new vision and with the success that he has been apart of with Denver's coaching staff the last couple of seasons, he will have an opportunity to fix Buffalo's biggest issue which was the performance of the defense. The Bills will be switching to a 3-4, which they haven't not been in since the Rex Ryan era, but the 4-2-5 defense under McDermott was becoming a liability. With all of the defensive additions the Bills made this offseason, fans are excited for what this defense should be able to do.
Q: Is the year for Josh Allen to finally get over the hump in the AFC and turn his personal success into a Super Bowl? Why or why not?
A: Bills fans are always hoping that this is the case for Josh Allen. He deserves to complete for a Super Bowl with everything that he has done for the organization and the city. Personally, if Buffalo's defense can step up and help Allen and the offense, I don't see a team truly stopping the Bills. As long as the defense lives up to expectations, this will be the year for Allen to raise the Lombardi Trophy for Bills Mafia.
Q: What was the biggest or most impactful move that the Bills made this offseason?
A: There are a ton of different options I could go with, but I'm going to give some love to the signing of defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the secondary. The Bills needed to bring in someone who can be a great running mate with Cole Bishop and CJGJ brings the intensity that Buffalo's defense has been lacking. I know that he has had a bit of a bumpy couple of years going from team to team, but he has the ability to motivate players around him and there's no plays off for him. I'm super excited for what he will bring to the Bills this season under Jim Leonhard.
Q: Do the Bills have a glaring weakness that the Raiders can exploit in this matchup to potentially pull off an upset? If so, what is it?
A: At this point, I can only point to the run defense, which gave up 136 yards on average last season. However, the Bills only added a rookie defensive tackle in Zane Durant in the 5th round of the draft. While bringing in Bradley Chubb, T.J. Parker, and moving Greg Rousseau to OLB should help, the run-defense has to prove that they have taken a step forward. It honestly would not surprise me if Buffalo's run defense once again lets them down in games.
Q: What is Buffalo's biggest strength that Las Vegas may have trouble overcoming?
A: The rushing attack led by James Cook. There is a lot of continuity back on the offensive line (only left guard is still to be determined), but I don't see Buffalo's running game slowing down anytime soon. If Cook gets going and keeps his momentum, life becomes so much easier for the Bills overall because they don't need Josh Allen to make all of the Superman plays.
Q: Would you rather face Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins?
A: Definitely Fernando Mendoza, bring on the rookie!
Other Las Vegas Raiders 2026 season previews:
Week 1 - Miami Dolphins
Weeks 2&14 -Â Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3 - New Orleans Saints
Week 4 - Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5 - New England Patriots
Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams (Coming Soon)
Week 8 - New York Jets (Coming Soon)
Week 9 - San Francisco 49ers (Coming Soon)
Week 10 - Seattle Seahawks (Coming Soon)
Weeks 11&15 - Denver Broncos (Coming Soon)
Week 12 - Cleveland Browns (Coming Soon)
Week 16 - Tennessee Titans (Coming Soon)
Add us as a preferred source on Google