The Las Vegas Raiders fell to 3-3 after a 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Granted, the Bills are one of the elite teams in the AFC. Yet it doesn’t change the fact that Vegas continues to come up short when it truly matters, and that is a long-term issue that predates the Kubiak regime.
The team did race out to a 3-0 start, stunning the NFL and playing strong on both sides of the ball. Yet, the last three weeks erased much of that initial goodwill. Additionally, just playing good teams close is nothing to celebrate. The concept of the moral victory should not ever enter anyone’s mind in the desert.
#Raiders playoff odds down to 13.7%.
#49ers are Super Bowl favorites at 28.6%
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 19, 2026
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Strong First Half Gives Way to Second Half Faltering
At halftime, the Raiders and Bills stood knotted at 13. Playing a dominant team to a standstill is an accomplishment. Yet, it does not absolve the Raiders of anything that happened in the final 30 minutes of the game. Center Tyler Linderbaum explained.
“We have to win those games. We have to find ways to win those games. To be happy that we’re close in games like that, I think that’s not a good mindset to have. It stinks to bot win this game when you expect to win. That’s what the mentality has to be. We have to close games out,”
In the standings. No stat for near wins exists, just wins, losses, and ties. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, the middle stat in that grouping continues to grow, to the chagrin of anyone involved.
#Raiders lose 3 straight games allowing 30+ points in each for first time since Weeks 12-14 in 2019.
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 18, 2026
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Limping Along
No one can question running back Ashton Jeanty’s toughness. He finishes runs with power and determination. Yet he doesn’t seem to possess the next gear he once had. The rusher looks hobbled, lacking that ability to get to the second level or hit the hole with any semblance of speed and quickness. In his last three games, Jeanty averaged 3.0 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, rookie Mike Washington Jr. has the speed and burst but lacks the feel for the NFL game consistently. Jeanty needs to sit until he heals. Right now, he isn’t helping the offense the way the franchise back should.
#Raiders have been outscored by NFL-worst 26 points in 3rd quarter this season
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 18, 2026
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Defensive Collapse
For the first three weeks of the season, the Raiders’ defense was one of the best in the league, allowing just 18 points per game. Moreover, the unit allowed 316 yards of total offense per game. Yet, over the last three weeks, offenses struck back, recording 426 on the ground. Also, the turnovers, which became an early staple, dwindled to just over the last 12 quarters.
You can clearly see that problem starts from. Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye combined for five sacks and 30 pressures to this point. That begs the question of where the defensive interior is. The defensive tackles do not seem to push the pocket hard enough on the interior, leaving the middle of the pocket clear enough for opposing quarterbacks to deliver the ball downfield.
At 3-3, the Raiders sit at their first crossroads of the season. Stopping the slide should become the most important part of the process at this point. More importantly, the Raiders need to use the disappointment as motivation. The team invested too much money and resources to merely be content with being close.
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