Make California Post a Preferred Source INTRO/PLAYBOOK Who would have thought Raiders-Saints would be one of the must-see games of Week 3?
The Raiders arrive in New Orleans with a 2-0 record and growing evidence that the foundation being built by coach Klint Kubiak can support something considerably more substantial than another rebuilding season.
The Saints are coming off a statement win at Baltimore, with quarterback Tyler Shough giving their fans reason to believe something special might be taking shape, too.
Put those developments inside a stadium that hardly needs an excuse to get loud, add the emotion of the Saints’ home opener and Sunday suddenly looks like a revealing afternoon for two teams trying to turn September optimism into something lasting.
For the Raiders, it also represents a different kind of test.
They opened the season in the comfort of Allegiant Stadium, then beat the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, where the crowd offered plenty of reminders of the franchise’s enduring Southern California roots.
The noise will challenge their communication. The Saints will test their defensive discipline. And if Shough gets rolling, the Raiders could find themselves needing more from quarterback Kirk Cousins than simply keeping the offense on schedule.
That makes the opening stretch particularly important.
The Raiders have scored 27 first-half points through two games, placing them among the league’s top-10 teams. The Saints have managed just six, the NFL’s second-lowest total.
There is an opportunity there. But taking advantage means finishing possessions with touchdowns and making New Orleans chase the game before the crowd can help the Saints take control of it.
Kubiak has already shown he will give his offense chances to be aggressive. His decision to attack before halftime against the Chargers, rather than settle for getting to the locker room tied, reflected a coach willing to trust his players.
That confidence matters. So does knowing when to lean on the running game, protect Cousins and keep a difficult environment from dictating the offense’s terms.
Defensively, the Raiders have an obvious pressure point.
With Saints starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. unavailable, replacement Asim Richards draws Maxx Crosby a week after Crosby dominated Chargers tackle Joe Alt. A Raiders pass rush generating pressure on 47.1% of opponents’ dropbacks should have opportunities to disrupt Shough.
But pressure and containment must work together. Winning quickly up front means less if the coverage gives Shough an immediate escape route through wide receiver Chris Olave.
The Raiders need their rush and secondary operating together, their offense protecting the football and their young players resisting the temptation to do too much when the building gets loud.
Two wins have earned them attention. A third, in this setting, would give their promising start considerably more weight.
The Raiders have begun to change the conversation about who they are.
Sunday will help determine how far that conversation should go.
Richards gets little time to ease into replacing injured Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. His assignment is Crosby, who dominated Joe Alt last week and now gets a chance to attack a backup. New Orleans can help Richards with chips and extra protection, but those resources have to come from somewhere. Crosby can influence the game by getting to Shough or forcing the Saints to limit their receiving options to keep their quarterback upright.
Slowing Olave will require a collective effort, but Stokes figures to draw the bulk of the assignment. The challenge is contesting throws without allowing Olave to turn an aggressive approach against him. With the Raiders looking to pressure Shough, Stokes must make the quarterback hold the ball long enough for the rush to matter.
The Raiders are getting closer to becoming a team capable of winning in any environment. This one might be a little too much, too soon. Shough and the Saints return home carrying the confidence of a huge win at Baltimore, and the crowd should make every critical offensive possession more difficult for the Silver-and-Black. Crosby will create problems, and Cousins will keep the Raiders within reach. But New Orleans makes one more play late to hand the Raiders their first loss.
The Raiders have scored 27 points in the first halves of their first two games, ranking among the NFL’s top 10. The Saints have managed only six, the league’s second-worst total. Las Vegas needs to exploit that difference. Productive early possessions can quiet the crowd and force New Orleans to play from behind, potentially creating more favorable situations for the Raiders’ pass rush. But starting fast means more than moving the ball. The Raiders need touchdowns, especially if they get opportunities on short fields. Letting the Saints hang around would waste a potentially important advantage.
The Raiders enter Sunday at plus-two in turnover differential. The Saints are minus-one. Keeping that edge could be essential to leaving New Orleans with a win. Cousins must balance attacking opportunities with understanding the cost of giving the Saints an extra possession or a short field. Ball security becomes even more important when crowd noise complicates communication and timing. Defensively, the Raiders need to turn pressure into mistakes, then capitalize when those chances arrive. Winning the turnover battle is a familiar formula for winning on the road. Against an increasingly confident opponent, it could be the difference.
The Raiders’ 47.1% pressure rate ranks second in the NFL, and the absence of Saints starting left tackle Banks Jr. creates an obvious opportunity. Crosby should command considerable attention against replacement Asim Richards, making it important for the rest of the defensive front to win its matchups. The goal is to prevent Shough from settling into a rhythm and giving Olave time to uncover downfield. That requires coordinated pressure, disciplined rush lanes and coverage that takes away easy answers. The Raiders have to make New Orleans pay for whatever protection compromises it makes to account for Crosby.
After opening at Allegiant Stadium and playing before a friendly crowd at SoFi Stadium, the Raiders face their first truly hostile setting. New Orleans should be rocking for a home opener that follows a huge win at Baltimore. Cousins has to be the calming presence, getting a young offense organized before the snap and keeping one bad play from becoming three. The Raiders cannot afford repeated false starts, wasted timeouts or protection breakdowns caused by communication problems. Handling the atmosphere also means surviving the Saints’ inevitable surge. Composure will matter as much as the ability to make a big play.
