The Las Vegas Raiders opened the Klint Kubiak era with a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas got off to a good start and led 17-6 at halftime. The Raiders had 290 total yards, a big improvement from last year, when they averaged 245.2 yards and 14.2 points per game.
Ashton Jeanty
The Raiders offense was led by running back Ashton Jeanty. He rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries. Jeanty also caught six passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Jeanty found the open holes and ran hard for Las Vegas. The running back is slated to get a lot of touches this season for the Raiders.
Kirk Cousins Was Solid
In his Raiders debut, Kirk Cousins completed 21-of-30 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. But he did throw two interceptions. Cousins did a good job taking what the defense gave him and not forcing the ball downfield too much. He threw the ball to six different receivers. One of Cousins’ touchdowns went to Jack Bech, who had three catches for 23 yards in the game. In the future, Cousins cannot turtle the ball over; it could be costly.
Offensive Line
The Raiders’ offensive line featured Kolton Miller, Spencer Burford, Tyler Linderbaum, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and DJ Glaze, who played well. The Raiders rushed for 130 yards. Along with Jeanty, rookie Mike Washington rushed for 41 yards on seven carries.
The Raiders’ offensive line also did not give up a sack. Protecting the quarterback will be key this season, and they’ll play a physical style of football. Sunday was a good start for the Raiders’ offensive line.
Defense
The Raiders’ defense played outstandingly; they gave up 74 yards rushing and only 185 yards passing. Las Vegas held the Dolphins to 2-10 on third down and forced two turnovers. Rookie Treydan Stukes intercepted the first turnover, and late in the game, Jeremy Chinn forced a fumble that Quay Walker recovered.
Las Vegas had five sacks in the game; newly signed Kwity Paye had two sacks, Maxx Crosby had 1.5 sacks, Nakoke Dean had one sack, and Folorunso Fatukasi had half a sack. Dean, Stukes, and Paye Walker each had six tackles for the defense. The Raiders played a physical style of defense, and it was fun to watch; hopefully they can keep it up.
Bottom Line
It was a good way to start the season for the Raiders; they looked much improved from last year, but it was just the first game of the season against a young Dolphins team. Nevertheless, it is a solid win for s team that has struggled for years. The Raiders play the Chargers next week, so it will be interesting to see if they can take another step in the right direction.
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