In a lot of ways, the Las Vegas Raiders losing in a close game to the Kansas City Chiefs did more to positively affect the league-wide perception of the team than winning their first three contests of the 2026 NFL season. And that is understandable, given the quality of the opponent that they battled.
But it is still amazing to see things change almost overnight. All of a sudden, the Silver and Black went from frauds with a 3-0 record to a true competitor at 3-1. And although the team does not care what those around the league are saying, it matters to the fanbase that the Raiders finally get their respect.
Following the narrow 30-27 loss in Week 4, Las Vegas is getting that. Not only are analysts starting to become believers in Klint Kubiak's team, but the messaging from the Chiefs' locker room was quite a bit different, and those in the Raiders' building remain unwavering in their dedication and conviction.
- Chiefs' Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes praise new-look Raiders
- What the analysts are saying about Raiders after loss to Kansas City
- Quotes from the locker room in Las Vegas
Chiefs' Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes praise new-look Raiders
Andy Reid, who has faced his share of cellar-dwelling Raiders teams over the years, is already seeing the shift that Kubiak has brought to southern Nevada. He told reporters after the game in his opening statement that he's been impressed with the first-year head coach's program.
"My hat goes off to the Raiders and the job which they've done there," Reid said. "Listen, they're a good football team, and we knew it coming in. We figured it'd take four quarters of good, hard football. It is the Raiders. It is an AFC rival, and there's a ton of tradition there. They're building it here, and with that competition, it increases it even more. So, my hat goes off to them."
"Klint's done a nice job. Like I mentioned earlier, he's holding the guys accountable for what he wants to get done. You can see that in their discipline of play. They haven't had a lot of turnovers, haven't had a lot of penalties on either side. They're trying to do what he's asking them to do, he's demanding it and it shows."
That's not just lip service; Reid seems genuinely impressed with what Las Vegas has accomplished so early in its rebuild. He wasn't saying this last year or in the years prior, with Pete Carroll, Antonio Pierce or Josh McDaniels at the helm, but Reid felt it necessary to shout out Kubiak's program.
Let's just hope that next time he isn't feeling so gracious and is riled up after a loss.
Patrick Mahomes gave effusive and genuine praise to the Raiders when asked in his post-game presser as well:
"That's a good football team," Mahomes said. "Defensively, they got a lot of veteran guys that came over to add into the talent they had, the D-line, the linebackers, and then the secondary, all were playing together, and really getting us off the field a lot of the time. We had some explosive plays there, especially towards the end that really helped us, but that's a really good football team. When Kirk [Cousins] is dealing like that, man, it's hard to stop. He knows the entire offense, and he gets the ball out of his hand to his playmakers, and they got a guy like Brock Bowers out there making plays. That's a really good football team. It was a good win for us, but we have to keep building and keep getting better, and I'm sure they'll do the same."
I'm sure Las Vegas will, too.
Xavier Worthy, who had a nice day against the Raiders, also chipped in with some praise.
"This is what we expect. This is a good football team. They were 3-0 going into this game, just some big ones. So, this is what we expected," Worthy said. "It's like what Coach [Eric Bieniemy] said, 'It's Raiders Weekend. It's where we need to come in ready to get our boots on.'"
Kansas City had to put its boots on to win that one; Las Vegas didn't roll over, as it had in years past.
Kubiak said after the Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers that to change a place, the Raiders would have to do things that hadn't been done before. And at least in recent memory, the Silver and Black haven't quite battled the Chiefs in earnest like that. Mission accomplished, despite the loss.
What the analysts are saying about Raiders after loss to Kansas City
Obviously, a lot of analysts can be hot-take artists, and even some that we'll go through have such a reputation. But these are all very measured takes and not for clips on social media. When broken down to brass tacks, those who follow and analyze the game are seeing it with the Raiders.
Colin Cowherd
"It almost felt like a win for the Raiders. 440 yards, 365 passing yards, 28 first downs, dominated time of possession, 78 total plays. The Raiders are a legitimate team. Kansas City's good, and they have much more franchise momentum. ... Kansas City is a very good situational football team on both sides of the ball. Over the course of this game, they just made more big plays. But I thought the Raiders, tip your cap to them."
"You have to hang your hat on this and say, 'This is a step in the evolution of the organization,' (be)cause I thought the Raiders completely looked the part."
Unbelievable that I am saying this, but Cowherd is right. This was a big step in proving that these are not the same old Raiders.
Rich Eisen
"Listen, Raiders fans, I know you didn't get the win. I know you tasted it. Less than five minutes to go, you're up. I understand you wanted it bad. I understand it was right there for the taking. I understand all of that. But I think this team answered the question that everyone's been asking: Are the Raiders for real? They're for real, man. They're for real because they are playing meaningful football and they are going toe-to-toe with the Chiefs."
Eisen is one of the only members of the national media who is consistently fair about the Silver and Black, and his message is spot-on. Would fans rather have the win than the moral victory, if such a thing exists? No doubt. But this team is for real, as Eisen said.
J.J. Watt
"Yes, they are a real team; they are a legitimate team. ... This was no small task [on Sunday]. They proved they were up to it. They weren't quite able to get over that hump with the Chiefs, but they are a real deal team ... and you'd imagine that they'll only continue to get better."
Watt was in production meetings all week and commentated the game, so he knows a bit more about the inner workings than the average analyst. What he's seen, he's clearly been impressed with, and that means a great deal.
Dan Orlovsky
"We knew that the Chiefs were a good to very good football team going into [Sunday] morning. I come out yesterday after the game going, 'The Raiders are a legit playoff team,' and that's the difference."
Again, I cannot believe I am saying this, but Orlovsky is correct. The Chiefs were a known commodity heading into Sunday, and the Raiders were not. But based on how the game unfolded, folks are starting to feel pretty confident about what Las Vegas is.
Ran Carthon
"Put some respect on the Raiders' name," Carthon said. "I came into this game saying, 'Okay, we're going to find out what this Raider team is all about. This is when reality starts to set it.' I don't give a [expletive] win these next couple of games. That's kind of crazy to say as a competitor, but if they continue to play football the way they are currently playing football, they are peaking ahead of schedule. ... This is a really good football team. ... Kudos to Klint Kubiak, kudos to John Spytek. You guys are building it right; continue what you're doing."
Carthon, as a former general manager, knows how these things go. And the fact that he is now all-in on the Raiders means a great deal, as he wasn't even sold before Week 4's game. But Las Vegas earned its respect on Sunday.
Ryan Paganetti
"The Klint and Kirk combo is a playoff caliber offense operation."
Paganetti is one of the most detail-oriented analysts out there and is quickly becoming one of my favorites. His work is so unique and thought-provoking. But this little snippet from one of his social media posts got me excited, and there's more great analysis in the full tweet.
Quotes from the locker room in Las Vegas
We'll start with some words from Kubiak, the team's fearless leader:
"I'm really proud of the fight of our team tonight. Not surprised by the fight of our team. Wish we would've won the game but got a lot of really hardworking guys that care about winning and fell short tonight," Kubiak said. "That's what we expect every week. We have really good players, we have talented coaches, and that's our expectation every week."
Kirk Cousins praised Kubiak's aggressive mindset in the matchup, which displayed unity and cohesion:
"Klint [Kubiak] felt we needed to be aggressive, we needed to be attacking all game long. If you come in here trying to just hang around with a good football team, it may not pan out the way you want. Felt like we needed to attack, just wish there have been, by me, better execution at moments that would have given us that chance to come out on top."
Ashton Jeanty, who clearly battled through ailments on Sunday, spoke to the character of this team.
"I mean, we're going to play till the clock hits zero. We're going to fight and find a way to try to win. We fell short today, but we're going to watch the film, regather everything, and come back to attack next week. ... "We know who we are as a team, and we've just got to keep getting better. We don't really care what anybody else thinks about us. We're going to keep showing and proving to each other that we're a great football team."
Between the Chiefs giving the Raiders credit, analysts finally giving the Silver and Black their shine, and those in Las Vegas still believing, there is a lot to be excited about with Kubiak's team going forward, even after a painful loss.
Add us as a preferred source on Google