Raiders Get Kubiak His First Win, 27-13, and Miami Does Most of the Work
Klint Kubiak has his first victory as a head coach. Las Vegas beat Miami 27-13 in Week 1, and for a franchise that has spent years cycling through leadership, a clean season opener counts for something.
It counts for less than the scoreboard suggests.
Start with the Dolphins' quarterback. Malik Willis went 15-of-27 for 220 yards with no touchdowns, one interception, and a 21.5 QBR. He was sacked five times for 35 yards. Miami found explosive plays in spots. Willis ran six times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Almost none of it turned into points.
The return game was worse. Jaylen Wright took back two kickoffs for 106 yards, 53.0 per attempt, including a 79-yarder. Malik Washington added 56 more on three returns. That's 162 return yards for a team that scored 13 points. Field position doesn't buy anything when the offense can't hold onto it.
Caleb Douglas caught five passes for 94 yards on seven targets, Miami's only real chain-mover through the air. Washington finished with three catches for 53 yards on eight targets and lost a fumble. De'Von Achane carried 11 times for 36 yards, 3.3 a pop. Jacob Rodriguez made 14 tackles and Chris Johnson added 11 with a tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Michael Taaffe picked off a pass. A defense that posts those tackle totals while giving up 27 points was on the field all afternoon.
So here's the honest read on Kubiak's debut: the Raiders avoided the mistakes, and on a day when the opposing quarterback posted a 21.5 QBR and the opposing return unit handed over a 79-yard kick return, avoiding mistakes was enough. It is a fine Week 1 skill. It is a thin foundation for a season.
I'm not buying the leap yet. The Dolphins gave away five sacks' worth of offense and a near-touchdown return and still only lost by two scores, which says more about Miami's floor than Las Vegas's ceiling. If the Raiders are genuinely different under Kubiak, the proof arrives when the other sideline stops handing them the game.
