3 Raiders Schedule Factors That Will Actually Matter (and 2 That Won't)

The Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 schedule has several interesting aspects. Some of those aspects will matter, some will not.

Will Matter: Late Divisional Games

Four of Las Vegas' final seven games will be against AFC West opponents. No matter how you slice it, this will matter.

Will Not Matter: Two of Raiders' First Three Games on the Road

Two of the Raiders' first four games of the season are on the road. Yet that is no big deal, as one of those games will be a de facto home game in Los Angeles, and the other will be against the New Orleans Saints.

Will Matter: Winnable First Four Games

The Raiders' first four games will be against the Miami Dolphins at home, on the "road" against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, a road game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, and a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes. These are all winnable games.

Las Vegas started 2-5 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. They started the 2023 season 3-4. Needless to say, their recent streak of bad seasons all got off to a bad start. After winning three games last season, they could win two of their first four games in 2026, potentially even three of their first four.

Will Not Matter: Late Bye Week

A late Bye Week is often viewed negatively, which is understandable in some respects. However, it will not impact the Raiders much this upcoming season. After all of the changes Spytek and the front office made this offseason, when the Bye Week falls should not matter one bit.

If it does, the changes they made must not have worked out well. The Raiders' late Bye Week is insignificant.

Will Matter: Winnable Games Sandwiched Between Late Divisional Games

The Raiders play two divisional games in the final four weeks of the season. However, in between those two games, Las Vegas is scheduled to have two very winnable home games against the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. This should bode well for the Raiders one way or another.

If Las Vegas can beat the Broncos at home the week before they face the Titans, then beat the Titans and Cardinals, they could finish the season on a winning streak. Mahomes could still be out, making it entirely possible the Raiders end the season with a four- or five-game winning streak.

The Raiders may be out of playoff contention by that point. Still, if they can end the season winning four or five consecutive games, that would still be a solid end to year one under Kubiak. If they are somehow in playoff contention when the Bye Week arrives, anything is possible.

Las Vegas' front office has done all it can to improve nearly every aspect of the coaching staff and roster this offseason. The Raiders hope those changes will pay off soon, and for a long time. Earlier this offseason, Kubiak acknowledged just how big a challenge he has been tasked with.

"I do. Why else come to Vegas to be a part of this organization, to make it a consistent winner? That's what we're all striving for, but the process of putting an organization in that position, that's why you come, that's the great challenge that it's going to be,” Kubiak said.

“Now, when we say that, to me, yeah, we're embracing getting there, but we want to be aggressive in how we approach every game. We want to go win every game we play."

Luckily, Kubiak has hired a coaching staff he is confident in and has been given a better batch of players than any of the Raiders' three most recent head coaches. It has been an eventful offseason for the Raiders. Although they do not have playoff expectations, the 2026 season should be eventful.

“I think you're just so appreciative of John Spytek and his staff, Brian Stark, B [Brandon] Hunt, the whole pro personnel staff, how prepared they were going into free agency. They had a plan. Tom Delaney, signing the players,” Kubiak said.

“Mr. [Mark] Davis allowing us to do all this just gives me so much confidence in the people that we have in the building, and we all want to win, and they showed it, and they got it done."

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