It took the Las Vegas Raiders an entire season to accumulate three victories in 2025.
asserted
It → take → 2025
Rookie coach Klint Kubiak and new quarterback Kirk Cousins have helped the Silver and Black match that total by Week 3 of 2026.
asserted
Silver → help → 2026
Cousins passed for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and the Raiders overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 35-27 on Sunday and remain unbeaten.
asserted
Raiders → pass → Sunday
The 38-year-old Cousins “has the experience, he has the maturity and he’s making plays,” said the 39-year-old Kubiak, who parlayed his one-year stint as offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks into his first head coaching job.
asserted
who → have → job
The game shifted on a play that will be seen as controversial and unjust by some — and certainly by Saints fans.
asserted
that → shift → fans
The series that led to the Raiders’ go-ahead score began when Las Vegas defensive end Malcolm Koonce sacked Tyler Shough as the Saints QB started his throwing motion.
asserted
QB → lead → motion
The ball went backward and was ruled a fumble that was recovered by the Raiders (3-0) — a different ruling than was made after a similar play involving the Saints (1-2) in Week 1 at Detroit.
asserted
that → go → Detroit
On that play, an apparent New Orleans strip-sack of the Lions’ Jared Goff was ruled incomplete on video review after the Saints thought they had recovered a fumble for a touchdown.
asserted
they → rule → touchdown
Likewise, Shough said, “I thought my arm was going forward.”
“I’m not exactly sure on the rule,” he added.
asserted
he → say → rule
“It doesn’t really matter.
asserted
It → matter → ?
I’ve got to get it out sooner, regardless.”
asserted
I → get → it
Boos rained down from Superdome stands, and Saints coach Kellen Moore gestured incredulously with his arms out to his side and palms up when officials, following a video review, upheld the call of a fumble.
asserted
officials → rain → fumble
“I just assumed it was a strip-sack,” Koonce said.
asserted
Koonce → assume → ?
“We just got a little bit of momentum and started balling.”
asserted
We → get → momentum
Six plays later, Cousins connected with Cody White for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 28-27.
asserted
it → connect → touchdown
“Momentum swung against us early in the third quarter, but the defense just kept showing up for us, creating turnovers and giving us short fields,” Cousins said.
asserted
Cousins → swing → fields
“We were able to capitalize on them.”
asserted
We → capitalize → them
Cousins gave Las Vegas an eight-point lead with a 4-yard TD pass to Brock Bowers.
asserted
Cousins → give → Bowers
The Saints got the ball twice more with a chance to tie it, but one drive stalled on Shough’s fourth-down fumble and another on Juwan Johnson’s fumble with 1:02 left.
asserted
drive → get → 1:02
“Turnovers in the fourth quarter got us and we weren’t able to overcome those.
asserted
we → get → those
Those guys finished better than us,” Moore said.
asserted
Moore → finish → us
“We had our opportunities and we didn’t get it done.”
asserted
it → have → opportunities
Shough passed for 255 yards and a career-high four touchdowns — including two to Johnson.
asserted
Shough → pass → Johnson
Shough’s other scoring passes went to Noah Fant from short range.
asserted
passes → go → range
But the second-year QB also turned the ball over three times, twice on fumbles and on an interception by cornerback Hezekiah Masses that set up the Raiders’ final scoring drive.
asserted
that → turn → drive
Mike Washington ignited the Raiders’ comeback with a tackle-breaking 36-yard scoring run that cut New Orleans’ lead to 27-22 in the third quarter.
asserted
that → ignite → quarter
Matt Gay kicked three field goals for Las Vegas, which also failed on a pair of 2-point conversions in the second half.
asserted
which → kick → half
New Orleans’ Chris Olave caught nine passes for 107 yards, his second 100-yard game this season.
asserted
Olave → catch → game
Bowers makes a difference in his season debut
Bowers, making his season debut after coming back from a knee injury during training camp, caught 10 passes for 116 yards and his short TD.
asserted
Bowers → make → yards
“To come off an injury and play the way he did was very impressive,” Kubiak said.
asserted
Kubiak → come → injury
“We needed it.
asserted
We → need → it
We’re not surprised.”
asserted
We → ’re → ?
WR Jack Bech left the game with a fractured forearm.
asserted
Bech → leave → forearm
Guard Jackson Powers-Johnson left with a groin injury.
asserted
Johnson → leave → injury
Saints: LB Pete Werner left in the first half with a neck and shoulder stinger.
asserted
Werner → leave → stinger
RB Travis Etienne left with an apparent hamstring pull.
asserted
Etienne → leave → pull
Edge rusher Anfernee Jennings left with a knee injury.
asserted
Jennings → leave → injury
Up next
Raiders: Host Kansas City next Sunday.
asserted
Raiders → host → City
Saints: Host Atlanta on Monday, Oct. 5.
asserted
Saints → host → Monday
The Aporia
