"How do you change a place? You do something they say you can't. You guys [expletive] did something they said you can't. Seven-point [under]dogs? [Expletive] that! Great job, man. Great [expletive] job!"
That was the start of Klint Kubiak's speech to his team in the locker room following their 26-14 road win against their AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. Obviously, the passion was hard to contain, as the team advanced to 2-0 for the first time since 2021, and Kubiak's squad played incredibly well.
But to balance things out, Kubiak also calmed down a bit and delivered a poignant message.
"Hey guys, I'm so proud of you. And I'm going to say exactly what we said last week, okay? We are humble in victory. We are humble in victory. We are a team; it's about us, and you guys proved that today."
Even though it is early in his coaching career, Kubiak is proving that he can both coach the game and be a leader of men. His being undeterred by past mistakes, his resilience to do right by his players, and his obvious trust in them have the Raiders playing at a level most didn't think possible so soon.
This is the foundation that fans have dreamed of.
Klint Kubiak's resilience and trust were on full display in Raiders' win over Chargers
The Raiders' offense wasn't exactly humming to begin the Week 2 matchup against the Chargers, as they had a turnover, a punt, and a turnover on downs to begin the game. They couldn't run the ball, the timing looked off, balls were being dropped, and blocking assignments were being missed.
But the troops were rallied for a touchdown drive that, of course, was followed by a quick punt. When Las Vegas got the ball back with 35 seconds left in the half, they were lucky to be tied 7-7, and most teams would have knelt down, cut their losses and took the ball to start the second half.
Not Kubiak, though.
Even though the Raiders struggled to throw downfield in Week 1 and the offense was all over the place, Kubiak asked Kirk Cousins to chuck it deep in an attempt to get into field goal range. And he did just that. Then, they were right on the fringe of where Matt Gay's leg could connect from.
In fact, the 59-yard attempt, if he were to make it, would be a new career-long. But Kubiak trusts his players, so he sent Gay out there to attempt it. As fans know, Las Vegas took a 10-7 lead into the half, and the rest is history, as they say.
Little things like the Raiders attempting a tush push with Connor Heyward again, even though it didn't look great last week, entrusting Cousins to unload downfield even though he struggled badly in that department in Week 1, or continuing to run the ball even though it's not quite working, go a long way.
Other coaches might abandon things that don't immediately work. Not Kubiak.
Early in the game, Kubiak got a bit cute near the goal line and tried a wildcat play with Cousins lined up out wide. It failed. That didn't stop him from running another trick play later in the contest, which worked beautifully and set up a Raiders touchdown to put them ahead in the game.
Kubiak goes for it on fourth down. When the team fails at something, he tries it again. He is undeterred by previous mistakes and coaches with absolutely zero fear, but rather, with 100% trust in his team to get the job done, even if recent history or conventional wisdom says otherwise.
All of this matters, not only for the psyche of the team and coaching staff, but also in terms of the game itself. And if he continues to lead the team this way, then the Silver and Black's young roster will develop the right way in the NFL, which is paramount to growing through this rebuild.
Klint Kubiak's coaching style is perfect for a young Las Vegas Raiders team
Young or inexperienced players don't always get to play through their mistakes. They don't always know that their coach believes in them. But Kubiak and his staff have made it a point to lean on these players and encourage them to play without fear, and that is making all the difference early on.
Zeke Masses was called upon to start and play most of the snaps on Sunday, and he played the way he always has. The results? Two interceptions and five tackles in his first start. Jermod McCoy was also given an opportunity to run, and Las Vegas didn't pull him when he struggled; they let him learn.
Cody White, who has never played much receiver, shined in Week 2 because they gave him a chance to run routes in crucial parts of the field at pivotal points of the game. Kubiak knows where White thrives, so he asked him to go out and do that. The results? Two grabs, both of which went for scores.
These are just a few of the countless examples of young and inexperienced players on this roster who are doing something that they have never done before at this level because Kubiak and his crew of coaches set them up for success and trust them to do what they are good at.
Not to mention, Kubiak's constant message to the players of being where their feet are makes the whole transition to the NFL level, or the pressure of every week, seem surmountable. No matter who speaks to the media, the sentiment is clear: this is a one-day-at-a-time kind of team.
Through two weeks, that has allowed the Raiders to be uniquely prepared for their opponents and to not cower in the face of adversity in either game. Every play, every series, is just that: a play or a series. It doesn't define the whole contest, and not everything has to be a marquee moment.
Sooner or later, this young team and coaching staff will look back and marvel at all they accomplished in the first year of what is supposed to be a rebuild. They won't get there with the end in mind, though; they have to continue to take things day-by-day and trust the process.
That, of course, is much easier to do when your coach walks the walk, trusts you, and is undeterred in his approach. When he's right there with you. And if the Raiders can keep up at this rate, they will undoubtedly do more than anyone said they could.
And the place will change, because this is something that has never been done.
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