A lot of fires have been burning in the Raiders' organization recently.
Not the kind that the legendary Al Davis described, though, in which the brightest is the will to win. They've been the kind that are sparked by arsonists in trash cans or the ones that ravage through our great ecosystems due to gross negligence, ill intent, or some nefarious combination of the two.
But the fire department is finally here. Klint Kubiak and John Spytek have a controlled burn rolling through the organization that more closely resembles the kind that Davis envisioned all those years ago. And the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders now have a chance to earn a signature win early in this rebuild.
Beating the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints was great, and nothing to shake a stick at. But the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town with a first-place spot in the AFC West on the line, and Kubiak, with a win, can pull off the Raiders' win heard 'round the world. This one could really turn the tide.
Raiders beating Chiefs matters more than in the win-loss column
Kubiak's team seemingly does a great job of blocking out the noise, as they are focused on riding for the brand and playing with shocking effort. They, at least on the surface, take things one day at a time and focus on the task at hand. Earning a little respect wouldn't hurt, though. It would be validating.
People can discredit wins against hapless Miami and Los Angeles teams, and they can contort themselves to believe that the victory down in New Orleans wasn't impressive because it was "fluky." But the national media hypes up the Chiefs too much to downplay the Raiders beating them.
This would be a win that thrusts Kubiak's team into conversations about not just the playoffs, but winning the AFC West and being an actual contender in the conference or league at large. And teams fall off every year, but would it not be fair to at least discuss the Raiders in this light after such a win?
Ultimately, it is not about the dialogue and perception; wins and losses are concrete and get you into the playoffs. Just because the hot-take artists don't buy into the hype doesn't mean that the Raiders cannot accomplish everything that they want to accomplish.
After years in the cellar of this league, though, it would be quite a jolt for the Raiders to be held in such esteem, and it would be a breath of fresh air for the fanbase not to have their team ignored or talked down upon. It is frustrating as a fan to be constantly invalidated and told your team is worthless.
Las Vegas has to actually win this game for any of what I just said to matter. And again, in the ultimate sense, victories cannot be taken away from teams, and they are the bottom line. But Kubiak's team has a chance to earn something else that isn't unimportant: respect.
Raiders beating Chiefs would be first hallmark victory in quite some time
The Silver and Black have enjoyed some big wins over the last few years, but how many of them have actually been consequential? Their Week 1 win over the New England Patriots last year was momentous, but it meant nothing because the two teams went in opposite directions after the game.
In 2024, the Raiders beat the Ravens in Baltimore to get back to 1-1, but they lost 10 games in a row shortly after that, so it didn't end up mattering. In 2023, the team finished 5-4 and beat the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21 in primetime, but they didn't make the playoffs, so who really cared?
To find a win of comparable meaning, fans would have to travel back to 2022 for the Week 18 finale against the Chargers to wrap up the 2021 season, the game in which Las Vegas clinched a playoff berth, their first in five years, as the clock ran out in overtime.
If the Raiders figure out a way to beat the undefeated Chiefs to start 4-0 and take control of the division? That would be the most pivotal win since that moment. This would be an "I'm here" win for Kubiak's team, one that sends a warning shot to the rest of the league.
With a victory against Kansas City, Las Vegas is no longer the bottom dweller. They are the top dogs. They are the team to beat; the one with the target on their back. And after being the league's worst team just a few months ago, that would be a dramatic turnaround.
It would also be so validating for this young Raiders team, coaching staff and front office. They have committed so admirably to doing things a certain way, and to be undefeated a quarter into the year and beat one of the NFL's juggernauts would let them know that what they are doing is working.
Will beating the Chiefs be an easy task? Absolutely not. This is a very good football team, one that resembles those Super Bowl squads of the past, not whatever they put on the field last year. But Las Vegas is capable of pulling this one out, and if it does, then it will be the win heard 'round the world.
Or at least the NFL!
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