Las Vegas Raiders 2026 Team Rankings and Ratings

72.7PFM Team Score

PFM Verdict

Why PFM Ranks the Raiders Here

Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers can force defenses into heavier personnel, and Maxx Crosby can still wreck a protection by himself. Las Vegas remains No. 28 because Kirk Cousins is a short-term quarterback answer on a young roster with little depth. In a loaded division, Klint Kubiak does not have many forgiving matchups while the offense develops.

NFL Rank#28Current PFM ranking

AFC Rank#14Among AFC teams

QB Stability#30Kirk Cousins · QB Limbo

Season OutlookNeeds More Help

Head coachKlint Kubiak

Offensive coordinatorAndrew Janocko

Defensive coordinatorRob Leonard

Offense72.5No. 28

Defense75.6No. 25

Coaching Direction73.6No. 24

Regular-Season Baseline

PFM Trend

Baseline September 8, 2026

Current stateBaseline set

Las Vegas starts the regular season with a 72.7 PFM Team Score and the No. 28 spot in PFM’s NFL rankings. Movement will appear after the first published weekly ratings update.

PFM Team Score72.7

Score movementStarts here

NFL RankNo. 28

Rank movementStarts here

See Latest NFL Ranking Changes

PFM Team DNA

Las Vegas Raiders Team DNA

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PFM category scores · 0–100 scale

QB Stability74.0No. 30 in NFLConcern

Offense72.5No. 28 in NFLMajor Concern

Explosiveness64.7No. 30 in NFLMajor Concern

Roster Strength75.8No. 26 in NFLConcern

Franchise Direction73.5No. 24 in NFLMajor Concern

Coaching Direction73.6No. 24 in NFLMajor Concern

Defense75.6No. 25 in NFLConcern

Identity

Roster Still Taking Shape

Las Vegas wants Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers to carry a wide-zone, play-action offense while the quarterback room develops. Maxx Crosby makes the front-driven defense the roster's clearest way to control a game.

Pressure Point

Las Vegas Has to Keep the Quarterback Room in Structure

Klint Kubiak has to solve quarterback transition and a young roster in the league’s toughest division before it becomes the part of Las Vegas' game opponents can attack every week.

Week 1 matchup

AwayMIA0-0

HomeLV0-0

Pick the winner.

PFM ROAD AHEAD

2026 Las Vegas Raiders Strength of Schedule

Las Vegas owns one of the tougher schedules in the league because San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos form the hardest part of it. PFM has the schedule No. 5 with an opponent average of 81.7 and 11 games against current top-10 teams. The road is not difficult from start to finish, but the stretch around San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos leaves little room for an off week.

Difficulty Rank#5No. 1 is toughest

Opponent PFM Avg.81.7Average across opponents

Next 3 Avg.77.2Upcoming opponents

Top-10 Matchups11Games vs. current top 10

Away games left9

Top-10 road opponents5

Week 1

vs. Miami Dolphins75.1 PFM · #24

Sep 13 · 4:25 pm

HomeBottom 10

Week 2

at Los Angeles Chargers83.9 PFM · #10

Sep 20 · 4:05 pm

AwayTop 10

Week 3

at New Orleans Saints72.7 PFM · #29

Sep 27 · 4:25 pm

AwayBottom 10

Toughest remaining opponent: Seattle Seahawks at 91.1 PFM.

See all 32 NFL strength of schedule rankings View Las Vegas Raiders’ full schedule breakdown

PFM ReporterReportedSeptember 2, 2026

Kirk Cousins Wins the Raiders' Week 1 Quarterback Job

Las Vegas named Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter after an open competition with Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell.

PFM already lists Cousins atop a quarterback room graded 74.0, but formally settling the job removes one layer of uncertainty from a team still ranked near the bottom of the league in QB Stability and offense. PFM will review QB Stability for a modest positive adjustment while keeping the Team Score unchanged until the regular season shows whether the offense actually improves.

By Justin Fuhr

Sources: Kirk Cousins named Raiders' starting quarterback

Around the League

League Context

Closest Team DNA Match

Built Like New York Jets

New York JetsMatch distance: 2.37 rating points

Shared profile: QB Stability and Offense.

Las Vegas finds early-down control through the offensive line, while New York Jets find on-schedule throws through the offensive line. The connection in QB Stability and Offensive Rating is an offense that can protect the quarterback from having to solve every difficult down alone. Explosiveness is the main separator because New York Jets gets more drive-changing chances from the offensive line.

Where they separate: Explosiveness. Jets hold the stronger current rating.

View Jets dashboard Compare the teams

Division Pressure