Midseason report card: Raiders rebuild on track, but one unit gets poor grade

Klint Kubiak is more than halfway through his first year as coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, their 4-5 record through the first nine weeks not marring the approach he brings to work.

“It’s such a blessing to get to work in this league,” Kubiak said Friday. “Whatever position that you are, position coach or you’re a quality control, you’re one of 32, and I think you realize how special and how unique that is, and how it’s not for long either. The NFL will chew you up and spit you out, so you better make sure you’re enjoying it on the way.”

The Raiders have more wins under Kubiak than they totaled a season ago with eight games still left for them to play, including Sunday’s versus the Seattle Seahawks. They’ve beaten teams with losing records and lost to teams with winning records, battling some through the final whistle and relenting to others well beforehand.

Nothing wrong with that for rebuilding Las Vegas, 3-14 in 2025.

Here’s how the Raiders have graded midway through the season:

Offense: B

The trade of Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings means the Raiders are starting anew with Fernando Mendoza as their signal caller, but their offensive tenets should stay in place. They’re eighth this season in points per game (26.4) in spite of the NFL’s worst rushing offense (2.9 yards per carry), thanks in part to play of Cousins.

With 15 years of pro experience, Cousins was sharp in Kubiak’s offense, delivering passes with rhythm and timing en route to the second-most touchdown throws. That without steady perimeter production from an unproven group of wide receivers — save for Tre Tucker, tracking toward career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns as the team’s top receiver after steady production the last three years as a complementary receiver — to go with their bottled-up running game.

Tight end Brock Bowers is driving that production as the best tight end in the NFL and one of its top players overall. He’s leading pass catchers in receptions (48), yards (658) and touchdowns (six) while teaming with tight end Michael Mayer (39 receptions, 388 yards and a touchdown) to form the league’s most formidable duo.

The offensive line has been steady in pass pro and unreliable while blocking for runs.

Defense: D-

Saving the unit from a failing grade is its role in the 3-0 start to the season, driven by pressure and takeaways. The pass rush and coverage that overwhelmed the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints — who bring a combined 4-19 record into Week 10 — has vanished altogether the past six weeks as the Raiders stepped up in competition.

First-time defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is now overseeing the league’s worst defense.

Vulnerable to both rushes and passes, the Raiders rank last in scoring defense (29.8), allowing the most rushing yards (1,361) via 5 yards per carry. Opposing passers have thrown a league-high 20 touchdowns against Las Vegas, against which quarterbacks are accounting for a 103.6 quarterback rating.

Defensive end Maxx Crosby remains disruptive, drawing double teams on the edge, while linebacker Nakobe Dean has anchored the middle as a free-agent signing. Rookie safety Treydan Stukes is settling into the secondary, but defensive standouts are hard to find and there’s only so much scheme can solve.

Special Teams: B+

No team begins its drives with more favorable field position than Las Vegas, which starts possessions on average at the 34.6-yard line. Both a reflection of its porous defense, paving the way for kickoff returns that running back Dylan Laube is fielding better than anyone in the NFL.

Laube leads the league, averaging 32.3 yards per return, returning a kickoff for a touchdown in a Week 8 win over the New York Jets. Teams are increasingly opting for touchbacks — and thus the 35-yard line as a starting point for the Raiders — instead of kicking the football to Laube.

AJ Cole remains the league’s best punter, leading it in yards per punt (51) while landing 40.7 percent of his kicks inside the opposing 20-yard line. Matt Gay has been an admirable replacement for longtime kicker Daniel Carlson, making 19 of 21 field goals while not yet missing an extra point.

The Raiders are mostly covering kicks well.

Coaching: B+

Kubiak’s offense is overachieving given its struggles running the ball, reflecting his game-planning and play-calling strengths. He’s learning on the job with his in-game coaching, still too often squandering timeouts, but the Raiders are typically prepared to play and fight for four quarters no matter the score.

The defense is rife with developing youth. Special teams are effective, too. The rebuild is heading in the right direction, regardless of the record against better opposition.

Contact Sam Gordon at [email protected]. Follow @BySamGordon on X.