The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, and their new coach's talent as a play-caller is a big part of why.
The Las Vegas Raiders got a gritty 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints on the road on Sunday, and coach Klint Kubiak is proving his mettle as a play-caller.
The Raiders played like a well-coached team against the Saints, and the familiarity of quarterback Kirk Cousins with Kubiak’s offense is surfacing more with each passing game. Cousins is reading defensess and making quick decisions, and that’s part of the Raiders’ new formula offensively.
The new twist in Kubiak’s play calling was the ability to find new ways to get the ball to star tight end Brock Bowers, per Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. One tactic is the use of Bowers with fellow tight end Michael Mayer, with one or both tight ends then moving around the formation according to the play being called.
The makes it tough for opposing teams to double Bowers, and if they do manage it that can often leave Mayer with extra room to operate. Mayer isn’t nearly as explosive as Cousins, but he is a reliable target with good hands who can also function as an effective safety valve.
The big play Nguyen mentioned was a key third down late in the game where the Raiders went to Bowers in a short-yardage situation. Cousins read the defense and sent Mayer in motion, which gave Bowers a one-on-one opportunity against cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Bowers was able to employ his unique skill set to box out the skill set and make the catch to convert.
That tactic was used frequently, as was a manuever where Bowers is split out wide to give him extra room to work. Per Nguyen, he’s basically playing the same role of Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams, who also has the physicality to win in isolation situations and make runs after the catch.
The writer also cited an intriguing stat that’s reflecting Kubiak’s play-calling talent. The Raiders currently rank ninth in points per drive at 2.46, and last year they ranked 31st in this important metric.
Kubiak can also quickly recognize what’s working and what isn’t, and Cousins can easily follow his lead due to his familiarity with the offense. One example of this happened with the running game, which was being stifled and shut down early on, but Kubiak went back to it late in the game when the Raiders had the lead, and Ashton Jeanty had some success with inside runs when Las Vegas needed to control clock to get the win.
