The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the early-season surprises through the first three weeks, jumping out to a perfect 3-0 record. That includes a 35-27 win over the Saints in New Orleans, where they scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to pull off the comeback. Already, they've matched their win total from last season's 3-14 campaign and have made some history in the process.
They are just the second team in NFL history to start 3-0 after consecutive 13-plus loss seasons, joining the 1980 San Francisco 49ers. They are also just the third team in the past 20 years to start 3-0 after winning three or fewer games the prior year (2006 Saints and 2013 Chiefs). For our conversation here, we'll point out that Las Vegas is the fourth team in the Common Draft Era to start 3-0 after drafting first overall the previous spring.
Lost in the shuffle of this stellar start to 2026 is the biggest question that loomed over the organization — and still does — when they first embarked on it: When will we see Fernando Mendoza take over as QB1? The Raiders selected Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft after the Heisman Trophy winner put together one of the greatest seasons in college football history, leading the Indiana Hoosiers to a perfect season and a national championship. He is the unquestioned future in Las Vegas, but this 3-0 start does appear to kick the eventual ascension down the road, at least momentarily.
The biggest reason why there hasn't been a clamoring for Mendoza to step into the big seat is that Kirk Cousins has been on fire. Coming out of Sunday's Week 3 action, Cousins is tied for the most passing touchdowns (9) among qualified quarterbacks (min. 50 pass attempts). He's also eighth in the NFL in passer rating (107.2) and per dropback (0.18).
Cousins joined Tom Brady (2015 and 2021) as the only players in NFL history age 38 or older to have at least nine passing touchdowns through the first three games of the season. He also tied a Raiders franchise record for the most consecutive games with three or more passing touchdowns (three). And he did most of that without his go-to pass-catching option in tight end Brock Bowers, who made his season debut in Week 3 and caught 10 of his 13 targets.
Even if the Raiders found a way to still be 3-0, had Cousins struggled through these first three weeks, there would be a groundswell to elevate Mendoza. Because he's essentially been a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, Cousins has quieted that talk and removed any pressure on first-year head coach Klint Kubiak to make a move under center. The Raiders couldn't have asked for a better start to the season, but things can change in an instant in the NFL.
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