The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the feel-good stories early in the 2026 NFL season, with a 3-0 start. Moreover, in Week 3, the Silver and Black showed that they shouldn’t be taken lightly after their road win over the New Orleans Saints.
Heading into Week 4, the Raiders have a bigger test against the Kansas City Chiefs in a matchup of 3-0 teams on Oct. 4 at Allegiant Stadium. Nonetheless, before that game, Las Vegas has been praised for how they have looked through three games.
Former Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch shared his thoughts on Las Vegas’ 3-0 start. Lynch also noted that the team has changed significantly in terms of culture.
“They’re doing their thing, man,” Lynch said in an Oct. 1 video from the “Get Got Pod.” “That s–t feels good. I know they’re in Vegas, but, man, they’re always gonna be the Oakland Raiders to me, man. They look fresh, and I don’t want to say timid, but usually when you get put in those positions, and you’re down, and you can’t really figure it out, it seems to me like they don’t have that type of doubt anymore.
“It seems like now they got a foundation that they could always come back to, no matter how ugly it looks for them, though. You feel me? Like, we got something to ride on, you know what I’m talking about? And it looked like to me, bro, it looked like they know what they’re doing.”
Patrick Mahomes on Facing Raiders Defense in Week 4
Lynch isn’t the only one noticing the Raiders’ transformation. Patrick Mahomes also shared his thoughts on what he’s seeing from Las Vegas when the Chiefs quarterback spoke to the media on Sept. 30, including his perspective on facing a Raiders defense led by Maxx Crosby.
“They’ve brought in a lot of guys that are really good football players, and they’ve added young, talented guys in there as well,” Mahomes told reporters on Sept. 30. “Obviously, it starts with Maxx and their defensive line and being able to protect and be able to run the ball and do stuff like that.
“But they have great players everywhere, and they fly to the football. [The Raiders defense] turn the football over, which is huge in this league. We’ll have to match their intensity. We’ll have to execute at a high level, but it’ll be a great challenge for us, and we’re excited for it.”
Nakobe Dean on Facing Chiefs Offense in Week 4
Despite their 3-0 start, the Raiders know that they are in for a bigger challenge against the Chiefs. While it’s an AFC West rivalry game, it’s also a potential statement game for Las Vegas, as a win over Mahomes and Co. will show this isn’t the old Raiders.
One of the top performers on the Silver and Black’s defense in the Week 3 win over the Saints was linebacker Nakobe Dean, who recorded 12 tackles and one forced fumble. Ahead of the game against Kansas City, Dean spoke about facing one of the best offenses they’ll see this season, starting with Mahomes.
“We’re talking about Patrick Mahomes in the sense of him being the best of the best,” Dean told reporters on Sept. 30. “So we just got to trust our game plan and what the coaches give us throughout the week, handle our business, play to our level.
Raiders Get Candid Message From Marshawn Lynch Amid 3-0 Start