The Las Vegas Raiders' 3-3 record reflects who they are after their first six games under Klint Kubiak. After winning seven games in the past two seasons combined, both of which included 10-game losing streaks, Kubiak undoubtedly has the Raiders ahead of schedule.
Yet Las Vegas' coaching staff and players would likely admit that improvement from being last season's worst team feels good, but a three-game losing streak is still far from ideal. That is where Kubiak's Raiders find themselves heading into Week 7.
Where the Raiders Stand
Las Vegas played three of the league's worst teams in the first three weeks, then faced three of the league's best teams in consecutive weeks. The Raiders now have a good idea of where they stand among the conference's and the league's best.
As with all teams, the Raiders' tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses are becoming clearer each week. When they play their best football, they can compete with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills more than they could have imagined in recent seasons.
As the midway point of the season nears, the first six games have shown the Raiders are somewhere between the league's best and worst teams. As frustrating as a three-game losing streak is, they are better than the team that selected first overall in the most recent draft.
Still, the point of suiting up every Sunday is to win games. Las Vegas has lost three straight. Although their progress is commendable, they have set a higher standard for themselves than simply making progress. However, as Kubiak noted, the season is long. Ups and downs are inevitable.
"This is the least perfect game in the free world. Everybody makes mistakes, coaches and players, veterans and rookies, and so, it'sreally identifying who are your guysthat you can count on. That's a body of work. The more accountable players that we can have, that we learn to trust, those are the guys that get more playing time and get more opportunities,” Kubiak said Monday afternoon.
“So, that's coaching too. The more you learn about your coaching staff and yourself, you put different guys in different leadership roles. But I don't expect our guys to be perfect. It's a full speed, four quarter game with bodies flying everywhere. But it's really the guys that are accountable, especially in the toughest moments. Those are the guys that you really rely heavily on."
A Work in Progress
Compared to the past three seasons, Las Vegas' 3-3 record confirms they are headed in the right direction. With only six games together following an offseason of wholesale changes, the Raiders are still putting the pieces together. This comes with the expected growing pains.
The Raiders face another tough home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Los Angeles has issues of its own, but they are still further along than Las Vegas is. Las Vegas' front office and coaching staff have kept things in perspective from the start.
“Whether you're undefeated or you've lost them all, your every team is a work in progress. It's a long season with people moving in and out of the lineup. I told you guys last night, I like where we're headed. I like where we're headed. I like the potential that we have, and I like how hard our (running) backs are working. And there were improvements made, we just got to expand on the good things," Kubiak said.
As they begin preparing for Week 7, the Raiders have reason to feel cautiously optimistic. Los Angeles is a beatable team, despite having a superior roster compared to Las Vegas. The Rams have Super Bowl aspirations this season; the Raiders do not. Las Vegas has nothing to lose.
On the other hand, they still have a lot to gain. Even after losing three consecutive games, a win against the Rams would put the Raiders above .500, with a game against the New York Jets on the horizon. Losing three games is not what Las Vegas had in mind at any point this season.
However, the season is far from over. Las Vegas has to make the plays that are there to be made and capitalize on other teams' shortcomings on Sundays. There were moments against the Chiefs and the Bills when Las Vegas could have put themselves in commanding positions down the stretch.
Las Vegas led at halftime against the 5-0 Chiefs and scored zero points in the third quarter. They were tied at halftime against the 5-1 Bills and scored zero points in the third quarter. They started the second half of both games with the ball first.
Those are the kinds of moments they must capitalize on moving forward.
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