The Las Vegas Raiders, as it turns out, aren't a playoff contender yet.
Las Vegas walked into Foxborough, Massachusetts, on a day when Adam Vinatieri was being honored for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction and got pelted by the New England Patriots, 45-17, thanks to quarterback Drake Maye's incredible five-touchdown performance as the third-year signal-caller continues to ascend after a slow start.
For head coach Klint Kubiak, it should be considered a humbling experience in his first year leading a franchise. The loss told me something adamantly clear: the Raiders still have a lot of growing to do and flaws that aren't easy to fix.
Where Growth Is Needed
The Raiders' growth stems from several factors, including youth, inexperience, new systems, and new faces on both sides of the ball. The first three games of the year were somewhat of a tease because of the opponents they faced; the Raiders started 3-0 against teams with a combined one win, while their last two games were against teams with two combined losses.
Las Vegas won the games they needed to and almost beat one of the lone undefeated teams remaining, the Kansas City Chiefs, two weeks ago. However, their last two games have shown flaws on both sides of the ball that involve the aforementioned growing pains.
Kubiak has taken accountability for not giving players opportunities in Sunday's loss, while Rob Leonard is working with the talent he has, trying to diversify his system outside of a heavy dosage of Cover 3. There is only so much you can do with the personnel at your disposal.
Lack of Ample Talent at Key Positions Remains Costly
On that note, the biggest needs on the Raiders roster are becoming clear with each game, and so far, I can identify wide receiver, defensive tackle, right guard, and potentially left tackle as offseason needs. I do think there needs to be a conversation around Kolton Miller, who hasn't had the best season and has a 2027 cap number of $20.2 million with $15.2 million in potential savings.
Sunday showed the lack of a trustworthy receiver, and tight end Brock Bowers, as special as he is, cannot be relied on as much as he has been in the passing game. They have needed a difference-maker at the position for a while. Defensive tackle is in a similar boat, but the offseason should provide opportunities to improve these units.
This is all a learning curve for the Raiders. I don't get the indication that general manager John Spytek would be a buyer around the trade deadline, which is the right call in this instance, unless they enter their home matchup in Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks well over .500 and looking at the postseason.
I think Raiders fans must brace for another blowout loss or two this season, and those could come over the next seven weeks with their stretch of games. Again, this is a learning opportunity for everyone in a year that is supposed to be a rebuild, but the early results, despite Sunday's, should be encouraging.
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