Riding a four-game losing streak into Week 8, the Las Vegas Raiders knew that they needed to make changes when they took on the New York Jets. The same old thing wasn't working, but it still takes a gutsy head coach to buck the status quo at 3-4 in his first season. Klint Kubiak did just that, though.
And the Raiders came out on top against the Jets.
But that victory came at the expense of several players dropping in the pecking order or losing their spots altogether. That is perfectly fine, as the NFL is a results-based business, and no one player's role matters more than the Silver and Black emerging with a victory.
Kubiak understood that assignment, as there were three fairly seismic shifts when it came to snap counts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders' Week 8 snap counts saw several major changes take shape
Mike Washington Jr. was RB1
Things had been trending toward a split backfield in recent weeks, but out of nowhere, Washington Jr. was the undisputed featured back against New York. He played 38 snaps to Ashton Jeanty's 25, and the former ran the ball 25 times, while the latter got just two carries in the whole game.
It remains to be seen if this will be the game plan going forward, as Kubiak said that he still needs both players and will rely on both. But a message was clearly sent in Week 8, and it is hard to argue that Las Vegas' rushing attack wasn't better in this game with Washington Jr. as RB1 than it had been.
Jermod McCoy was next in line at CB, not Zeke Masses
Darien Porter reclaimed his starting role weeks ago, but he and Zeke Masses had still been rotating. So, when Porter got injured on the first play of the game, everyone expected Masses to come in. But it was Jermod McCoy who got the nod, playing just his second batch of important snaps this year.
All told, McCoy logged 34 snaps, while Masses recorded 29. Kubiak simply said that they wanted to give McCoy some run and an opportunity. But if Porter's groin injury remains a thing, then it'll be interesting to see how they split the reps opposite Eric Stokes going forward.
The RG spot is now Trey Zuhn III's to lose
Jackson Powers-Johnson apparently wasn't cutting it for the Raiders at right guard, so they called on Caleb Rogers to replace him. When Rogers didn't meet expectations, Las Vegas turned to rookie Trey Zuhn III in Week 8. And the 2026 third-rounder answered the call.
While his PFF grades were not spectacular, I thought he played well, and so did Kirk Cousins. Cousins said that he didn't notice Zuhn III, which is a good thing for an offensive lineman, and Kubiak praised him as well. After playing all 63 offensive snaps in a better-looking win, this RG spot is his to lose.
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