Kubiak, Raiders put emotions aside for Super Bowl reunion with Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak gained invaluable lessons he will carry with him through his coaching career during his one season as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks last year.

He also picked up a Super Bowl ring for his efforts that sits in a safe deposit box.

Kubiak would love to add to that collection one day with the Raiders and knows the time he spent working under Seattle coach Mike Macdonald helped put him in position to one day make that happen.

“I could answer that for a long time,” he said of what he took from last season to prepare him to be a head coach. “Number one, I think it’s just organizationally, just an all-football building, and from John Schneider to Coach Macdonald, just extremely intelligent people that treat people the right way and get the most out of their people because they’re genuinely good people.”

He will have to put that respect aside for three hours Sunday as the Raiders host the Seahawks in a 1:05 p.m. game at Allegiant Stadium. Kubiak insists it is just one more game on the schedule despite the memories of February’s Super Bowl title still being so fresh.

“The more experience you have in the NFL, the more you treat them all the same, and it’s going to be an important game because it’s the next game for us,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, see a lot of people with a lot of extremely strong bonds that I’ll have forever that I’m so grateful to see and say hello to, and then it’s game time.”

Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, as well as wide receivers Cody White and Dareke Young expressed similar sentiments.

All were part of the Seattle organization last year, along with multiple assistant coaches and staffers.

“It’s a big one because it’s the next one,” Janocko said. “You understand that. I mean, there’s a lot of emotions this week, but we have a job to do. So whatever emotion you have, you put that aside, because they’re doing the same thing, and we’ll hug and stuff after the game and everything. But kind of let everybody else deal with that.

“We just go about our business.”

Insider knowledge

This week, that means preparing the offense to not only go against one of the best defenses in the league but one that practiced against Kubiak and Janocko’s scheme every day last season.

That could make for quite a chess match come Sunday.

Kubiak said the familiarity was a big part of the discussion in the game planning meetings at the beginning of the week.

The staff discussed both potential adjustments and the likely adjustments Macdonald and the Seahawks defense would make to those adjustments.

They came away with a plan they relayed to the players and are now pressing forward.

“I think you take that piece out of it,” Kubiak said of potentially overthinking the familiarity. “There’s a lot of discussion in game planning every week. ‘Hey, what have we put on tape? What do we think they’re seeing? What are they going to do?’ And then you have to make a decision. Then you get your butt out on the practice field and make sure the players are executing.”

Kubiak also shared insight on the Seahawks’ offensive personnel with defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, including his thoughts on backup quarterback Drew Lock, who will start Sunday.

“Drew is a starting NFL quarterback,” Kubiak said. “I have so much respect for Drew and how good of a player that he is. He’s 2-0 this year, and Drew’s winning football games.”

Young said he also shared intel with the receivers about the Seattle secondary, to an extent.

“In the end,” Young said, “you just have to go out there and play.”

Next chapter

Young has not seen most of his former coaches and teammates since he attended the ring ceremony along with the other former Seahawks now with the Raiders, and he insisted the group text is no more active.

He wants Sunday to be as normal as possible despite the familiar faces on the other sideline.

Instead of seeing an opponent or even old friends, he sees a potential blueprint. He is driven to help Kubiak turn the Raiders into something like they were a part of in Seattle.

“It’s been pretty cool trying to build here,” he said. “You can’t really copy and paste in this league so you have to go through all the steps. But one of the main reasons I came here was to be a part of building something special. I feel like we’re on the right path. We just have to find more consistency.”

White was not only on the Seahawks last season but also spent the entire offseason in Seattle before he was released following training camp. He appreciates the experience but isn’t drawing extra motivation from playing his old team.

“It was incredible. Anytime you can say you are a Super Bowl champion, it stays with you for the rest of your life. So definitely something I will cherish forever,” he said. “But our coaches and front office are doing a great job of putting the right people in the right positions. Every time I’ve been a part of a high-level team or a championship team, that’s where it starts, and we have the mindset to win every game. This is no different.

“We were obviously there last year. I was there this year. So we know a lot of the guys in the building, but yeah, it’s just another game.”

Certainly not the kind of occasion Janocko would bust out his Super Bowl ring to commemorate.

“I wore it this summer twice at the request of my wife,” he said. “Other than that, it was on to the next chapter.”

Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.