Week 7 Result: Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams 35-21
The feelgood start to the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 campaign came screeching to a halt when the calendar flipped to October. The team turned into a pumpkin and lost all four games in the month.
At this juncture, the possibility of this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, taking over Las Vegas’ offense on a full-time basis must be under strong consideration. A Week 13 bye may be too late in the process to get the team’s biggest investment onto the field, because he could use all of the snaps he can get.
On the flip side of the coin, the Raiders still face four of the league’s top 12 defenses over the next five games, which doesn’t even include the Denver Broncos’ talented unit.
So, the Raiders have a significant decision to make. Either the coaching staff and organization feel Mendoza is ready no matter who he faces, or the team will have to wait until December before pulling Kirk Cousins from the starting lineup. — Sobleski