Troy Renck: They are the Silver and Bleak. The once bubbling rivalry with the Broncos is now Raider Weak. But could the juice return with a former family member joining the Dark Side? Klint Kubiak is taking over as coach of the Raiders, his sixth team in six seasons. There will always be warm feelings for his father Gary in these parts, for his loyal work as a backup quarterback and stern hand in leading the Broncos to the Super Bowl 50 victory. The NFL feels right when a Kubiak is coaching a team. But did Klint pick the wrong one?
Sean Keeler: The Autumn Wind is a fart. Allegiant Stadium is the last place on the Strip I’d want to roll the dice. Little Kubes has earned a shot in the big chair, no question. But the Raiders’ big chair has tears in the fabric, a missing leg and mold forming along both arms. Since 2006, the Raiders have managed just two winning campaigns. Since 2004, only one coach (Jack Del Rio) has produced a season of nine or more victories within his first two seasons. Which is why Klint Kubiak is the franchise’s 15th different full-time or interim coach over the last 22 years. And why Vegas is a WNBA town.
Renck: The Raiders stink. Let’s be clear. They have one winning season in the past nine years. They won three games last season, ranking last in yards and points. Did Klint Kubiak take a job or write the first line of his coaching obit? It is easy to crap on Las Vegas (especially when losing at craps). But this has a chance to work. Kubiak can take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick, pairing him with tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty. He also can revamp the offensive line in free agency with $87 million available in salary cap space, per Spotrac. So, channeling Lloyd Christmas, “I am saying there is a chance.”
Keeler: Mendoza gives me serious Kirk Cousins vibes. Although if anybody could make that work from Day 1, it’s probably Klint. Bowers is the real deal. Jeanty could be — if he had a better offensive line. What good is that young offensive core if they’ve got lousy blocking in front of them? That last part’s one of the fundamental issues with taking the Raiders job. Las Vegas is in a division with a historic Broncos pass rush that’s got plenty of tire tread. You’ve got tough-guy Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles and whatever fumes are left of Chris Jones in Kansas City. The Raiduhs are in an AFC that features Myles Garrett (23 sacks), Danielle Hunter (15 sacks), Nik Bonitto (14 sacks) and Tuli Tuipulotu (13.5 sacks). The Shiver and Hack’s big men checked in at No. 21 overall among PFF’s annual offensive line rankings for 2024. They dropped to No. 32 this past fall. Wherefore art thou, Art Shell?
Renck: Quietly, Kubiak is not the most important former Bronco in the Raiders revival. It is general manager John Spytek. His first season in Vegas was a disaster as Pete Carroll flamed out — hiring his son Brennan struck the match on the dumpster fire — and Geno Smith crash landed. Spytek must lean on minority owners/sounding board Tom Brady and form a long-term strategy. This is a rebuilding project that requires vision and home runs in the draft and trades. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby has become Mr. Raider, a relentless, future Hall of Fame pass rusher. But he wants out, and it is time to accommodate him, landing a Micah Parsons haul for the 28-year-old. Kubiak will create an offense with toughness, setting up the pass with a solid wide zone run game. Winning the Crosby deal will allow Klint to solve the Rubik’s Kubes in Vegas.
Keeler: How much time will Mark Davis give Klint to figure it out, though? The only coach since 2002 to last at least three full seasons in RaiderLand was Jon Gruden, and that, um, didn’t exactly end well. No disrespect to the NFC West and NFC North right now, but the AFC West is arguably the nastiest division in football when it comes to front-line coach + QB combos. A block that’s got Payton + Nix in Denver, Mahomes + Reid in KC and Herbert + Harbaugh in SoCal is as unforgiving as they come, assuming those QBs are healthy. And somebody’s gotta be last. What’s that old line from the movie, “Rounders?” If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half-hour at the table, then it’s probably you.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.