The Las Vegas Raiders dropped their final preseason game to the San Francisco 49ers, but the loss did little to overshadow some encouraging moments from an offense still finding its footing under head coach Klint Kubiak.

With the Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on the horizon, the Raiders used the preseason finale as one last chance to build chemistry with a roster full of new faces. Kirk Cousins’ first pass of the night was rough. The throw to tight end Brock Bowers could have been picked off for a touchdown. Former Raider Jack Jones, still a fan favorite in some circles, telegraphed the play the entire way and saw it coming.

The ball wasn’t intercepted, and Raiders fans know Jones loves to take it to the end zone. He did it a few times during his time in Las Vegas. Between that opening hiccup and a puzzling final sequence of three straight runs on third-and-4 to Dylan Laube, though, the offense looked pretty decent.

That final play call was a head-scratcher. Kubiak dialed up three consecutive runs, and it felt like the Raiders simply settled for a field goal and chose not to show anything else. Fair enough for a preseason closer.

A few things that stood out on offense

Running back Mike Washington looked excellent alongside the starters. Washington is likely the starting running back if Ashton Jeanty misses any time, and his performance should give the coaching staff confidence in their depth.

After that shaky first throw, Cousins was dialed in. He found his checkdowns, located the open receivers, and connected with Bowers. That’s what matters most. He operated the offense efficiently and moved the Raiders into scoring position.

Kubiak also showed a creative streak. He manufactured a designed touch for wide receiver Tre Tucker using an orbit concept, bringing Tucker in motion, faking the motion around the backside of the running back, then swinging the ball out to him. That was always going to Tucker, and he took it for a first down.

Tucker’s speed can be elite, and if Kubiak keeps manufacturing touches for a player like that, the Raiders could be in a good position this season. Kubiak wanted to play the starters one final time before the regular season, and he explained why after the game.

“I just wanted to get them all together,” Kubiak said.

“I just wanted to get them all together,” said Klint Kubiak on playing #Raiders first-team offense in preseason finale.

— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) August 28, 2026

Why that matters for Week 1

That quote carries real weight because this Raiders offense will look drastically different than it did in 2025. There is very little continuity outside of the same players being on the roster. The scheme is completely new. It’s a different run scheme built around wide zone. The pass concepts are different. The quarterback is different. The center is different. Those are two of the most important positions on any offense.

Beyond that, the running back situation is uncertain if Jeanty isn’t ready for Week 1. Left guard is new. The right guard spot remains unsettled, with Caleb Rogers and Jackson Powers-Johnson still battling for the starting job. Jalen Nailor, functioning as the No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver, is also new to this team.

That’s a lot of turnover and not many reps together during the preseason. Getting the starters on the field one last time mattered, and they looked good for the majority of the game when they were out there.

The Raiders open against the Dolphins in Week 1, and there’s reason to believe the offense could look sharp right away. The hope is that it doesn’t repeat what happened last season, when the offense looked good in Week 1 as Geno Smith threw for 360 yards in a win over the New England Patriots, only for the team to win just two more games after that.

The offense, one last time together, looked pretty decent. Now the Raiders need to carry it into the games that count.