The first game of the Klint Kubiak era is officially in the books for the Las Vegas Raiders, with the new-look squad led by veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins making easy work of Malik Willis and the visiting Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
During the season opener, Cousins had the offense firing on all cylinders, as he went on to throw three touchdowns, completing 21 of his 30 passes for 160 yards, but also threw two interceptions.
Kirk Cousins Passes John Elway in Prestigious Category
Despite the turnovers, Cousins had a solid Raiders debut, especially with star running back Ashton Jeanty taking the pressure off the veteran gunslinger, as the second-year back stole the show as the leading rusher and receiver with 147 yards from scrimmage and two receiving touchdowns.
As a result of Cousins’ touchdown passes against the Dolphins, the 38-year-old made some history, becoming only the 15th quarterback to reach 300 touchdown passes, which passed Denver Broncos legend, John Elway.
Cousins (301 touchdown passes) is now 14th on the prestigious list of NFL quarterbacks, with Fran Tarkenton sitting ahead of him at 342.
There are only two other active quarterbacks ahead of Cousins on the list of most touchdown passes in NFL history, with Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams coming in at No. 7 with 423 and Pittsburgh Steelers star Aaron Rodgers at No. 4 with 528.
Of course, Raiders part-owner Tom Brady sits atop the list, far ahead of No. 2, Hall of Famer Drew Brees (571), with 649 touchdown passes, which is pretty remarkable.
If Cousins plays at a high level during the final stretch of his career, there’s a chance he reaches Tarkenton (342), but who knows how much longer he’s got under center in the NFL.
Deep Ball
Even though Cousins played well during Week 1 against the Dolphins, Kubiak wants a bit more from the passing game, namely explosive plays downfield.
Kubiak said the Raiders need to “chuck it deep” to get those explosive plays in the passing game during Monday’s press conference, via team reporter Levi Edwards.
“Chuck it deep.”
#Raiders
During his Raiders debut, Cousins didn’t exactly show he was a threat with the deep ball, even though he was very accurate on his passes for 10 yards or less, via Sam Warren of The Athletic.
Cousins was 20-for-23 on passes 10 yards or less, throwing for 139 yards and all 3 of his touchdowns. His 131.4 passer rating was second-best on
“Raiders QB Kirk Cousins averaged 7.5 air yards per attempt in the win over the Dolphins, 21st in the league in Week 1, per TruMedia.
“Cousins was 20-for-23 on passes 10 yards or less, throwing for 139 yards and all 3 of his touchdowns. His 131.4 passer rating was second-best on such throws in Week 1, only behind Jaxson Dart.
“Cousins was 1-for-7 on passes more than 10 yards. His one completion came on a play-action play where Tre Tucker was wide open on a crosser for a 21-yard gain. Cousins’ two interceptions came on throws of 13 and 20 yards. His 0 passer rating on such throws was the league’s worst in Week 1.”
This will be interesting to monitor moving forward, as opposing defenses will know how to play against Cousins, which could prove costly down the road.
Kirk Cousins Passes NFL Legend During Winning Raiders Debut