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Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers can force defenses into heavier personnel and create room in the middle of the field. The defense still has a player who can wreck a protection plan by himself in Maxx Crosby. Las Vegas remains near the bottom because the quarterback transition and thin depth leave very few forgiving matchups in the division.
See how the PFM category ratings shape Las Vegas.
Both units still need work for Las Vegas. The offense wants to use a wide-zone and play-action plan. The defense wants to use a front-driven scheme, with Maxx Crosby as the main anchor.
Kirk Cousins is the current leader in the quarterback competition, making the position the swing factor. The pressure point is quarterback transition and a young roster in the league’s toughest division.
Kubiak owns the 23rd-ranked coaching grade with Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and a young roster sharing the same timeline. The staff has to build around Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers without letting the quarterback question swallow the offense.
Too many possessions ask Las Vegas to win ten or twelve snaps in a row. The 30th explosiveness rank explains why.
The Raiders win by running through Jeanty, creating play-action throws for the supporting cast and letting Crosby attack a predictable passing game.
The Raiders are most exposed when they fall behind early and force Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza into a high-volume comeback. Those games put a spotlight on quarterback transition and a young roster in the league’s toughest division.
Las Vegas ranks No. 6 in schedule difficulty, with an average opponent PFM Score of 81.7 and 9 games against current top-10 teams. Four of those top-10 matchups are away, while the next 5 opponents average 80.6.
Toughest remaining opponent: 
Seattle Seahawks at 91.3 PFM.
These are the two closest on-field builds in the PFM ratings. The similarities matter, but so do the differences.
The Jets are the closest match because both teams put the quarterback at the center of the week-to-week answer. The Raiders lean on a wide-zone and play-action offense, while the Jets lean on an aggressive coverage defense. The Jets bring more big-play punch.
The Titans are another close match because both teams trust the quarterback to set the weekly ceiling. The Raiders get there through a wide-zone and play-action offense; the Titans are built around a front-four zone defense. The Raiders have the deeper roster.
Denver, Kansas City and the Chargers all enter with more proven rosters. A wide-zone and play-action plan gives Las Vegas enough to stay in the race. The remaining problem is quarterback transition and a young roster in the league’s toughest division.
Las Vegas owns 3 Super Bowl titles from 5 trips, with the latest coming in Super Bowl XVIII in 1984.
