The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to reach 3-0, but the 1-1 New Orleans Saints stand in their way. New Orleans is coming off an impressive road win against the Baltimore Ravens and is playing their first home game of the season, so the Silver and Black are in for a challenge.
Nonetheless, the Raiders are riding a wave of confidence, with their defense playing lights-out and not having given up 20 or more points in a game. Moreover, on offense, Las Vegas has shown it can win by leaning on either the run or the pass.
In Week 1, it was the Ashton Jeanty show, and in Week 2, when the Los Angeles Chargers took away the run game, Kirk Cousins showed that he can sling the ball and help the Silver and Black win with the passing game.
Ahead of the game against the Saints, former Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito shared a key message for Las Vegas that could help them reach 3-0.
“This is a new challenge,” Incognito said in a Sept. 26 video from the “Initial Contact” YouTube channel. “Brandon Staley and that defense down there in New Orleans. They want to get five big bodies up on the line of scrimmage. They want to take away your run. They got two great linebackers in Kaden Elliss and Pete Werner. Those guys are real active. They’re aggressive downhill.
“So, a key for the Raiders is to get back to our run game. Get back to our run game. Open up our play-action pass. Let Kirk deal with manageable situations on second and third down. Let him move the chains with completions and get this thing going.”
Richie Incognito Gives Raiders Defense Candid Advice
Moreover, Incognito also sent a blunt message to the Raiders’ defense, which can’t allow one aspect of the Saints’ offense to get going against them.
“One thing I see from these New Orleans Saints is they want, they’re committed to running the ball,” Incognito added. “They are not running it very well. So, don’t let their run game get going. Get our run game going defensively. That’s the number one thing. Shut down their run game early.
“Get behind the chains. Make Tyler Shough beat you because he has all the gaudy passing numbers. He has all these big passing numbers, but what I see out of him is a lot of underneath stuff. It’s a lot of intermediate stuff.
“Chris Olave is his safety valve. If things are breaking down and he needs to take a big shot, he wants to look up Chris Olave, and they’ve hit some teams with explosives later in games, but this New Orleans team starts slow. Let’s jump on these boys. Defensively, the key is getting pressure on him early in the game.”
Chase Young Gets Blunt on Maxx Crosby
The Raiders defense will look to carry their good start to the 2026 season into New Orleans. Maxx Crosby continues to show that he’s one of the best players at his position coming off a torn meniscus injury from last season. As a result, the Saints’ Chase Young has a lot of respect for the veteran.
“I feel like players like Maxx are always respected,” Young said on the Sept. 25 edition of “Good Morning Football.” “I have a lot of respect for Maxx and what he does and how he can do it. I feel like every pass rusher is their own original self. It’s the way Maxx rushes. He rushes [differently] than Khalil Mack. Khalil Mack rushes [differently] than me.
“I rush different than Nick Bosa. So I feel like it’s what they say. It’s more than nine ways to skin a cat. So I feel like everybody can skin it differently and we all just [are] original in how we do things.”
Richie Incognito Gives Raiders Key Message for Saints Game