The Las Vegas Raiders opened the 2026 NFL season and Klint Kubiak era with the type of performance this franchise has struggled to produce consistently in recent years.
Las Vegas controlled possession, protected its quarterback, ran the football effectively, created turnovers and prevented the Miami Dolphins from scoring throughout the fourth quarter. The result was a convincing 27-13 victory at Allegiant Stadium and a successful head-coaching debut for Klint Kubiak.
Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes in his first regular-season game as a Raider. Ashton Jeanty generated 147 yards from scrimmage and caught two touchdowns. The defense recorded five sacks, forced two turnovers and limited Miami to two conversions on 10 third-down attempts.
It was not a perfect performance. Cousins threw two interceptions, the Raiders generated only 290 total yards and the offense failed to score during the fourth quarter. However, Las Vegas played complementary football for most of the afternoon and responded immediately when Miami threatened to change the game.
For a team beginning another new era, that was more important than piling up empty statistics.
Raiders Establish Their Identity on the Opening Drive
Las Vegas introduced Kubiak’s offense with a 16-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that consumed nearly nine minutes.
The Raiders mixed Cousins’ efficient short passing with steady work from Jeanty, repeatedly staying ahead of the chains and preventing Miami from taking control of the game’s tempo. Cousins completed all nine of his attempts for 64 yards during the possession.
According to the Raiders’ official game recap, Cousins became the franchise’s first quarterback in at least 30 seasons to complete his first nine passes in a season opener.
The drive ended when Cousins found second-year receiver Jack Bech for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:33 remaining in the first quarter.
That opening series established the formula Las Vegas wanted to use: stay balanced, protect Cousins, involve Jeanty in multiple ways and keep Miami’s offense on the sideline.
The Raiders followed it with a Matt Gay 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Miami answered with a 41-yard Riley Patterson field goal, but Las Vegas regained control before halftime.
Cousins connected with Jeanty for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter. The score was the 300th touchdown pass of Cousins’ NFL career and gave the Raiders a 17-3 advantage.
Patterson converted another field goal as the first half expired, cutting Miami’s deficit to 17-6.
Ashton Jeanty Became the Center of the Offense
Jeanty entered the season as the most important young skill player on the Raiders’ offense. He immediately looked ready to carry that responsibility.
The second-year running back rushed 23 times for 102 yards while catching all six of his targets for 45 yards and two touchdowns. His 147 yards from scrimmage accounted for more than half of Las Vegas’ total offensive production.
Jeanty did not score as a runner, but his influence extended well beyond the rushing column. His ability to release into the passing game gave Cousins an easy answer against pressure and allowed Kubiak to create favorable matchups near the goal line.
The first touchdown reception gave the Raiders a two-score lead before halftime. The second became the game’s defining response.
Miami opened the third quarter by intercepting Cousins and quickly turning the takeaway into a 14-yard Malik Willis touchdown run. In less than three minutes, the Dolphins had cut a 17-6 halftime deficit to 17-13.
Las Vegas could have allowed the game to turn there.
Instead, a strong kickoff return gave the Raiders favorable field position. Jeanty then accounted for 29 yards during a five-play scoring possession that ended with another 13-yard touchdown reception.
Miami’s comeback attempt lasted only two minutes and 46 seconds before Las Vegas restored its 11-point advantage.
Kirk Cousins Delivered Touchdowns, but the Interceptions Matter
Cousins completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. His final passer rating was 88.2.
The veteran quarterback was decisive and accurate during the opening possession. He also took advantage of Jeanty as a receiver and kept the Raiders organized during a game in which they controlled possession for 34 minutes and 53 seconds.
Most importantly, Miami never sacked him.
That protection allowed Kubiak to keep the entire offense available without constantly compensating for breakdowns in the pocket. Las Vegas’ offensive line surrendered only two quarterback hits while helping the offense run the ball 37 times for 130 net yards.
Cousins’ interceptions prevented the performance from being clean. Michael Taaffe intercepted him early in the third quarter, creating the short field that led to Willis’ touchdown. Miami later intercepted Cousins for a second time but failed to turn that takeaway into points.
Against a stronger opponent, those mistakes could change the outcome.
Still, Cousins delivered three touchdowns, reached 300 career touchdown passes and answered Miami’s biggest momentum swing with another scoring drive. For his first start in Kubiak’s offense, the positive outweighed the negative.
Raiders Defense Controlled the Game Up Front
Miami quarterback Malik Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards with one interception. He also rushed six times for 39 yards and the Dolphins’ only touchdown.
Those numbers do not fully capture how uncomfortable the Raiders made him.
Las Vegas recorded five sacks and repeatedly created pressure during obvious passing situations. Maxx Crosby, Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean and Folorunso Fatukasi helped disrupt a Miami offense that never found a sustainable rhythm.
The Dolphins finished with only 13 first downs, 259 total yards and two successful third-down conversions. Their offense produced just 65 rushing yards from its running backs.
De’Von Achane was limited to 36 yards on 11 carries and added four receptions for 30 yards. His longest run gained only 10 yards, preventing Miami from creating the explosive rushing plays it needed to relieve pressure on Willis.
Rookie safety Treydan Stukes delivered one of the biggest defensive plays in his NFL debut. Stukes intercepted Willis during the third quarter, becoming the first Raiders rookie to record an interception in his debut since Vann McElroy in 1982, according to the team.
The defense finished the game with another turnover. Jeremy Chinn forced a late fumble that Quay Walker recovered, allowing Cousins and the offense to close the afternoon in victory formation.
Miami Never Recovered From Las Vegas’ Third-Quarter Answer
Miami’s best stretch began immediately after halftime.
Taaffe intercepted Cousins, and Willis scored four plays later to bring the Dolphins within four points. For a moment, the pressure shifted entirely onto Las Vegas.
The Raiders responded with 10 unanswered points.
Jeanty’s second touchdown reception extended the lead to 24-13. Las Vegas then produced a possession lasting more than seven minutes before Gay made a 30-yard field goal, pushing the margin to 27-13 with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.
Neither team scored again.
Miami’s rookie receiver Caleb Douglas provided one of the Dolphins’ few offensive bright spots, catching five passes for 94 yards. Malik Washington added 53 receiving yards, but he also lost the late fumble that ended Miami’s final meaningful possession.
The Dolphins accumulated more gross passing yards than Las Vegas, but the Raiders controlled the areas that decided the game. Las Vegas had eight more first downs, ran 17 more offensive plays and possessed the ball nearly 10 minutes longer.
The complete Pro Football Reference box score shows Las Vegas finishing with 290 total yards compared with Miami’s 259.
Klint Kubiak Earns His First Victory as an NFL Head Coach
Kubiak became only the second non-interim head coach in Raiders history to score at least 27 points in his debut, joining Bill Callahan in 2002.
The Raiders presented Kubiak with a game ball after the victory, but his postgame message remained measured. He acknowledged the significance of winning his first game while reminding the team that it still had 16 regular-season games remaining.
Kubiak also told the locker room the Raiders were better than the final score, an assessment that made sense after two interceptions and a scoreless fourth quarter.
Las Vegas does not need to pretend everything has been fixed after one afternoon. The passing attack produced only 160 yards. Cousins must protect the football more consistently. The Raiders also need to prove they can reproduce this performance against stronger competition.
What they demonstrated against Miami was a functional foundation.
The offensive line protected Cousins. Jeanty drove the offense. The defense created pressure without allowing explosive scoring plays. Special teams consistently helped with field position, and the team committed only six penalties for 29 yards.
Those are sustainable ways to win football games.
What Comes Next for the Raiders?
The Raiders leave Week 1 with a 1-0 record and early evidence that Kubiak’s system can fit the personnel assembled around Cousins, Jeanty and Crosby.
Las Vegas will travel to face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. That AFC West matchup should provide a more demanding test for the remodeled offensive line and Kubiak’s defense.
Before the opener, Respect My Region’s Raiders-Dolphins game preview identified Jeanty’s involvement and Crosby’s ability to pressure Willis as two of the game’s central matchups. Both factors ended up helping decide the result.
Jeanty looked like the centerpiece Las Vegas needs him to become. Crosby and the defensive front kept Miami behind schedule. Cousins supplied the veteran stability the Raiders wanted, even if the two turnovers left room for improvement.
The Raiders did not win because of one spectacular play. They won because the offense, defense and special teams consistently supported each other.
After years of unstable starts and incomplete performances, a controlled 27-13 victory was exactly what the new era needed.
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