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Where Raiders Showed Future Promise in Final Preseason Game

The Las Vegas Raiders lost their final preseason game to the San Francisco 49ers. What did they show in that game that shows they're headed in the right direction?
Fernando Alfaro-Donis|
Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

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Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into the 2026 NFL regular season with a losing record in the preseason. This extends the losing streak they've had since 2024, during which they've not won more than one preseason game.

Preseason is meant to prepare the team for the regular season and to give younger players and undrafted free agents opportunities to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. It's up to you to decide how much stock you want to put in preseason performances, but I believe there are definitely some takeaways to come out of their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

RBs Will Excel

Klint Kubiak saw plenty of success last season with the Seattle Seahawks by prioritizing the run and letting the ground game dictate the flow of the offense. The Raiders wanted to run the ball effectively last season, but their offensive line prevented them from doing so.

This season, it looks like they'll be able to, thanks to their improved offensive line. Mike Washington Jr. ran freely for a couple of yards without contact, a luxury Ashton Jeanty didn't get in his rookie season. Kubiak is laying the framework so any running back can succeed behind Tyler Linderbaum and Kolton Miller.

Raiders OL As Advertised

Good offensive line play completely reshapes the outlook of any team in the NFL, but for the Raiders to get this much improvement in one offseason vindicates their decision to hire Kubiak. They have to prove it in the regular season to fully reap the fruits of their labor, but the Silver and Black will finally get some respect around the league if their offensive line can create that much space for running backs consistently.

They will be more successful rushing the ball, even with Jeanty's status potentially up in the air at the beginning of the season. This is the first step toward them becoming one of the better offenses in the NFL.

Fernando Mendoza's calling card is his accuracy and his ability to make big-time throws. If Kubiak can get the offense in a rhythm by picking up consistent yardage on the ground, this opens up huge opportunities for Mendoza to gash the defense with a big throw downfield.

Another way their identity will shift is that they don't have to force the big plays. They can rely on Mendoza's accuracy and use the passing game as an extension of the run game by completing smaller passes and keeping the defense honest, which will then give their running backs more space to operate. Whenever Mendoza eventually takes over as the starter, either late this season or later in the future, that will be notable.

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Fernando Alfaro-Donis
FERNANDO ALFARO-DONIS

Fernando Alfaro-Donis found his passion for sports playing high school football, which led him to pursue journalism as an English major at UCLA. He also covers the UCLA Bruins and the Los Angeles Rams as an On SI team reporter.