Klint Kubiak’s first game as an NFL head coach ended with the Raiders playing much of the afternoon the way he has wanted them to play since arriving in Las Vegas.
They ran the football, controlled possession and repeatedly answered Miami’s best chances in a 27-13 season-opening win Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
Ashton Jeanty rushed for 102 yards and caught two touchdown passes, while Kirk Cousins threw three scores in his Raiders debut. Las Vegas held the ball for 34:53 and outrushed Miami 130-74.
The Raiders also sacked Malik Willis five times and allowed Miami to convert just 2 of 10 third downs.
It gave Kubiak his first victory as a head coach on his first try.
Jeanty gives Raiders an offensive foundation
The Raiders made their intentions clear immediately.
Jeanty took his first regular-season carry for 11 yards and touched the ball six times on Las Vegas’ opening 93-yard touchdown drive. The 16-play possession consumed 8:58 before Cousins found Jack Bech for a 15-yard score.
Jeanty kept producing from there.
The second-year back finished with 23 carries for 102 yards while adding six catches for 45 yards. He scored twice through the air, including a 13-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining in the first half.
His second came after Miami cut Las Vegas’ lead to 17-13 early in the third quarter. Jeanty carried three times on the ensuing possession before Cousins found him in the left flat for another 13-yard touchdown.
Jeanty’s production went beyond the box score. Several runs appeared bottled up before he broke tackles at the line or finished through contact for additional yardage.
Mike Washington Jr. provided another option behind him. Washington rushed seven times for 41 yards, including an 18-yard run during a second-quarter touchdown drive.
Together, they helped Las Vegas run 67 offensive plays and build almost a 10-minute advantage in possession.
Cousins delivers touchdowns and a milestone
Cousins started about as cleanly as possible.
He completed his first nine passes and finished the opening drive with his 299th career touchdown pass, finding Bech over the middle. Cousins later connected with Jeanty before halftime for career touchdown No. 300.
He finished 21-of-30 for 160 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
The vertical passing game was less consistent. Cousins missed several deep opportunities, and both interceptions came after Las Vegas had built control of the game.
The first proved costly.
Michael Taaffe intercepted Cousins on the Raiders’ opening possession of the third quarter. Miami immediately drove 52 yards, with Willis scrambling 14 yards for a touchdown that cut the lead to four.
Cousins answered on the next possession. A 21-yard completion to Tre Tucker helped set up Jeanty’s second touchdown and restored the lead to 24-13.
His second interception came with 11:22 remaining, but the defense prevented it from becoming another momentum swing.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins throws against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter on Sept. 13, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium. Cousins threw three touchdown passes in his Raiders debut as Las Vegas beat Miami 27-13 in Klint Kubiak’s first game as head coach. Mandatory Credit: David Brytus-Imagn Images
Defense repeatedly answers trouble
Miami took over at the Las Vegas 44 after Cousins’ second interception.
Three plays later, the Dolphins punted.
The Raiders allowed minus-8 yards on the possession, with Kwity Paye sacking Willis on third down. It was one of several important plays from Paye, who finished with six tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.
Miami had another major opportunity late in the third quarter after Jaylen Wright returned a kickoff 79 yards to the Raiders’ 18.
Again, Las Vegas responded.
Nakobe Dean sacked Willis for a 10-yard loss on 3rd-and-5, and Riley Patterson then missed a 41-yard field goal wide left. Miami ran four plays on the possession and lost 5 yards.
Maxx Crosby became increasingly disruptive late. After generating pressure throughout the game, he recorded 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits.
Rookie safety Treydan Stukes also made an immediate impact. He intercepted Willis at the Las Vegas 34 in the third quarter, and the Raiders followed with a 13-play possession that drained 7:07 and ended with a Matt Gay field goal.
Las Vegas finished with five sacks, seven tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reacts after sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis during the fourth quarter on Sept. 13, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium. Crosby helped lead a defense that sacked Willis five times in a 27-13 season-opening win. Mandatory Credit: David Brytus-Imagn Images
Raiders finish the job
The offense slowed in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders kept forcing Miami to cover too much ground.
AJ Cole averaged 63.3 yards on three punts and repeatedly flipped the field. One late punt was downed at the Miami 3 with 3:39 remaining.
Miami’s final meaningful possession ended with another defensive play. Jeremy Chinn knocked the ball loose from Malik Washington after a 26-yard completion, and Quay Walker recovered it with two minutes remaining.
That turnover allowed Kubiak and the Raiders to finish their opener without another Miami threat.
Las Vegas was not perfect. Cousins threw two interceptions, the deep passing game never developed consistently, and Miami produced a 79-yard kickoff return.
Still, the Raiders controlled the football, ran effectively and repeatedly survived their mistakes.
For Kubiak, that formula was enough to leave Allegiant Stadium with his first win as an NFL head coach and the Raiders at 1-0.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
