Winning is incredibly hard in the NFL. Las Vegas Raiders fans know that better than anyone, as the team has totaled just seven wins in the last two seasons, preseason included. So, the Raiders and their fanbase shouldn't turn their nose up at Thursday night's takedown of the Houston Texans.
Yes, Las Vegas got into a 17-0 hole against the Texans' starters and second-stringers, and it was Aidan O'Connell's offense that scored 19 second-half points to lead the comeback charge. Plenty of the contributing defenders in the second-half shutout effort won't be on the 53-man roster.
But culture is important. Good vibes are important. Getting your first win out of the way, even if it is ultimately meaningless, is important. Before this Raiders team can win a Super Bowl, it needs to win playoff games. Before that, regular season games. And before that, in joint practice or the preseason.
And after losing the opener and getting whooped in joint practice earlier in the week, it was nice to finally get in the win column.
Raiders' win over Texans meant a lot at this early stage in the rebuild
It is important to remember that this is a rebuild in Las Vegas, and that there are nearly 30 rookies on the roster. These players have no idea how to win in the NFL, and they aren't going to figure it out by losing preseason games; that is for sure.
The same goes for Kubiak. Although he was leading a lot of third- and fourth-stringers at the end of the game, these reps are important for him, too. He needs to know how to manage timeouts and be the chief decision-maker in some key situational football scenarios.
Mission accomplished on Thursday.
Plus, the team still trying hard while playing from so far behind in a game that most would deem meaningless signifies a few things. One is that this team is fighting hard for each other and their head coach. The second is that they are buying into his messaging about the process and competing.
Another is that this roster is comprised of players who are made of the right stuff. Players who stay engaged for all 60 minutes when the guys who won't be here in 10 days are on the field. Guys who compete their butts off even when there may be no tangible reward on the other side.
It took one look at the Raiders' sideline to understand how important this win was to them. Training camp is long and hard, and for so many players, that is the end of the line. To get a win on the road and to be able to head into the last week before the season on cloud nine is great for business.
Kubiak, however, wouldn't buy too much into the idea that this was some great feat for him. Instead, he panned it back to his players, as any good coach would do.
“It means a lot to our team, you know?" Kubiak said. "We needed to have that game, especially after that first half. Seen flashes of that from our guys in practice. For them to go do it on a Thursday night game, that's very rewarding to see those young men play their hearts out in the second half.”
On that note, let's hear from the team.
Raiders' players were thrilled after preseason win over Texans
Fernando Mendoza straight-up said that the game was fantastic because, well, the Raiders won.
“I thought the game was fantastic because we won," Mendoza said. "At the end of the day, the win is all that matters and we did a great job there on offense and defense playing complementary football in the fourth quarter to dig us out of some mistakes and we ended up winning the game.”
“Coach Kubiak is a great leader of men. You can see that by his response, and I think it was great of out team to have that resilience and it comes from the coaches. It comes from the players. It comes from just the entire organization. I think it was an amazing group effort.”
Aidan O'Connell, whose late-game heroics got Las Vegas over the hump, expanded on the idea that any win is gratifying for everyone involved with this football team.
“It's amazing. Camp is hard for everybody, and I think everybody works really hard. Coaches, administration, our players, obviously strength staff, equipment room... everybody works hard. It's a grind, and to be able to pay it off like this is awesome, and to celebrate with the guys is why you play the game.”
Dylan Laube went into a bit more detail about the team playing not just together, but for their first-year head coach.
"I think us coming back and playing together, man, was super special. Also, Coach Kubak's first official win, so it was cool to see everyone come together for him," Laube said. "He's our leader of the team. And just to get his first win for him, man, it's super, super special, man. He's our commander. And we ido it for him and for everyone else. So, it's just to see everyone click together."
Mike Washington Jr. also talked about things from a football perspective and why it was important to come out with a dub.
"I think it meant a lot," Washington Jr. said. "We've been talking about these end of game situations, and to finally be able to work it in a game instead of practice. I feel like [Kubiak] kind of enjoyed that and we all did also."
Winning is hard, but it matters. Even in preseason. A culture is being set, and these players have to understand that every win takes everything that everyone on the sideline has. That message was clearly delivered and taken to heart by the Raiders on Thursday against the Texans.
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