The word of the day for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026 was improvement.
After some collective struggles lead to a three-win season in 2025 and the first overall pick, the Raiders were quick to realize that their current plan was not working. Pete Carroll was jettisoned in favor of another Seattle Seahawks coach in then-offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the first pick turned into Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and general manager John Spytek went into free agency in Year Two with an aggressive mindset and was rewarded with a haul that included some top players.
It was a mentality that promised a success, even if the vision did not necessarily guarantee the results coming this season.
Just two games in, however, and the script has already flipped around.
Double-digit wins against the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers have the Raiders on an upward trajectory in the early part of the season. The free agent haul included the likes of linebacker Nakobe Dean and edge rusher Kwity Paye, both of whom have made their impact alongside others in a revitalized defense. On offense, Kirk Cousins has provided a steady veteran presence under center, giving Mendoza the opportunity for proper development time.
The early success has Raider Nation raising their aspirations higher than they have in a long time, with all eyes set on their team’s first playoff berth since 2021.
While the Raiders have every reason to be enthusiastic, what has stood out even more has been the professional attitude that exists in the locker room.
“I see the same guys in April,” said Kubiak when asked about if there has been any difference in the locker room between the beginning of the offseason program to now.
“We other together April…7th or April 4th. A very eager group to get better, so they’ve kept that same mindset. A lot of credit to our players.”
This philosophy is nothing surprising from Kubiak, who has been on record referring to the season as “17 one-game seasons.”
However, the locker room has quickly adopted a similar mindset, and Wednesday’s practice largely consisted of business as usual.
Even in the wake of cornerback Hezekiah Masses winning AFC Defensive Player of the Week in his first career start, the focus has remained on the team’s success. Such a mentality will prove valuable in the first true road game of the season for the Raiders on Sunday, when they face the New Orleans Saints with the opportunity to match last season’s win total before September wraps up.
“I just think it’s important that we come back in every day, every week, regardless of the outcome, win, loss, tie, the same person,” said Cousins as far as what he’s noticed as one of the locker room leaders on the Raiders.
“I think you just have to have your process, your way of getting ready for Sunday. That’s got to be consistent. You got to trust that routine, that rhythm, and not allow an outcome from a day before to suddenly change that. I think, if you do that, you’re grasping at the wind, so that’s kind of the approach I’ve taken is I have a process. I’m going to execute that throughout the week and not be looking backwards, but be looking forward.”
All of this has come without Brock Bowers, the All-Pro level tight end that has missed the first two weeks while recovering from a meniscus trim.
Adding Bowers back into the fold provides a new dimension to the Raiders offense, and one that should not be terribly difficult to navigate. While Cousins found connections with Tre Tucker and Cody White against the Chargers, Bowers presents a threat that defenses now have to be cautious of. Whether the tight end finds ways to get open or create space for other options, the value Bowers provides will soon be apparent.
“I think even the other guys I’m throwing to, you’re kind of building this rapport as you go through the real thing,” said Cousins about Bowers potentially returning to the lineup. “OTAs is one thing, training camp’s one thing, preseason games are one thing. It’s all building a foundation, but there’s nothing quite like real games.
These last two weeks have been great experience for us as a unit to kind of gather together and, with Brock, he’s, if you will, two weeks behind, but great to have him back and we’ll be building that rapport as well every snap we have together this week and on Sunday.”
No team is ever going to emerge as a finished product after just two weeks, but the Raiders have already shown tremendous improvement in that short span of time. The goal now is that the results match up in a larger sample size.