At halftime of the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, a 3-0 Klint Kubiak told the game's sideline reporter that his team was "going to win the game." Since that moment, Las Vegas has been outscored 131-82. They've now lost four straight games and have dropped to 3-4.
This stretch of the 2026 NFL season was always going to be difficult, simply because of the schedule. Facing four of the league's best teams in a row, even if three of them were at home, was a tall task for a young roster and coaching staff with limited banked reps together under their belts.
And while the Silver and Black have competed in two of their four losses, getting blown out in two of the last three games has left Raider Nation feeling like they somehow, yet again, overreacted to early-season results, even though they knew better. This fanbase knew to keep the expectations low.
But everyone, including us, started to think about the playoffs after just a handful of weeks. Klint Kubiak's team is teaching fans the ultimate lesson in not doing that and simply being where your feet are, especially in the very early stages of a rebuild.
Raiders' vaunted 3-0 start looks a bit less impressive now 7 weeks in
Don't get me wrong - wins are wins. And past Las Vegas teams would have found a way to lose at least one, but probably two or even three of their first three games. But what seemed like a handful of impressive victories at the time has turned out to be just beating up on a trio of bottom-dwellers.
The Miami Dolphins were known to be a weak opponent, and the Raiders handled them. That was a job well done. But a win over the Los Angeles Chargers lost its luster when they dropped to 0-6 before their Week 7 bye. Beating the New Orleans Saints felt monumental, but they are now just 2-5.
For those keeping tally, Las Vegas has beaten three teams with a combined three wins and 16 losses. Each of the three squads they took down is currently in last place in their division, and the Raiders have been beaten soundly twice and competed twice with the four good teams that they've played.
As it turns out, they may just be an average to below-average team in the NFL. And for where the Silver and Black started this offseason, and for where they have been in recent years, there is nothing wrong with that. Again, this roster and coaching staff was completely turned over in the offseason.
Las Vegas has a first-time head coach and a second-year general manager. They have a 38-year-old quarterback on a cheap deal. They didn't get their pick of the litter when putting their staff together because they had to wait so long in the hiring cycle. They still have holes to fill throughout the roster.
Perhaps the fanbase even considering the playoffs was the mistake. Kubiak and the players in the building were smart to keep taking things one day at a time and not to celebrate the victories too much. They knew that there was much to improve on and more to accomplish.
3-0 starts don't get you in the playoffs. Heck, even an 8-0 start by the Indianapolis Colts didn't get them into the postseason last year. Maybe after Week 7 is still too early, then, to make calls about who is a contender and who isn't. But it's a way bigger sample size than just three games.
Right now, the Raiders don't look like they are built to play deep into the winter, even though they looked like a brand-new team ahead of and even after Week 4. But let this be a lesson in not overreacting to the first few games; this is a long season and it is best to just focus on the present.
Add us as a preferred source on Google