Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak put his foot in his mouth during Week 4 loss to Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s going to have to live with it
The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t win, but they showed the world they are the real deal and Klint Kubiak is building something special.
The Las Vegas Raiders took their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling 30-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs at home. Raiders fans shouldn’t be too upset. This team showed it can compete with anybody in the NFL, including the dynasty that has owned the AFC West.
Las Vegas looks much different than it did this time last year, and a large reason why is rookie coach Klint Kubiak. He has already turned this football team around. The Raiders are 3-1, and they have a culture, they have heart, and they showed it all against Kansas City.
To be fair, there are no moral victories around here. We know this fan base, especially after a loss to the Chiefs. But in some ways, you do have to take a moral victory lap. The Raiders almost beat the Chiefs, and they weren’t supposed to. In the end, they beat themselves.
Here’s the thing about Kubiak’s halftime comments
One moment from Sunday is making the rounds. Kubiak spoke with sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime, with the Raiders leading 13-10, and his answer caught a lot of people’s eyes.
“You know, gotta be better, but you know what, we’re winning, we’re gonna win the game,” Kubiak said.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. Then Kansas City put up 20 points in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas answered with 14, and the Chiefs walked away with the three-point win. After the game, Kubiak was asked about his halftime comments, and he didn’t back down.
“I just believe my team is going to win,” Kubiak said. “We were winning at that time, and I believed that we were gonna win.”
His message was simple. He has that much faith in his team.
Why Raiders fans should applaud Kubiak
I have a different perspective on this than some fans, and I think you have to applaud the man for it. This franchise hasn’t won many games over the last few years. The Raiders won three games last season and four the year before that. That’s seven wins in two years, and they already have three this season.
Kubiak is trying to build a winning culture, and he believes in his team. This is the roster he helped build, and the team he’s coached through four weeks. They were up 13-10 at home against the Chiefs. Why would he not think they were going to win?
So if you’re a Raiders fan, please stop with all the “he put his foot in his mouth” talk. Sure, he kind of did. But there’s a positive here.
Kubiak doesn’t talk much. If you’ve ever watched his press conferences or media availability, you know he doesn’t say many words. Most of his answers are just a few words long. So when he felt the need to pop his collar, it meant something. I think he should keep doing it whenever he sees fit, because this team has that kind of swagger. If the Raiders feel like they’re going to win, they should say it. The only catch is that next time, they have to actually go out and do it.
I think the Raiders are going to bounce back in a big way. This team has a path to win at least eight more games. Of their final 13 games, eight are winnable, and they could even steal a few I don’t think are winnable right now. It probably won’t play out that cleanly, because it never does. Vegas could also drop some of those winnable games.
It’s impossible to predict what will happen over a full season. Either way, the Raiders are back. Next up is the New England Patriots, a team that just beat the Buffalo Bills. It will be another test, and I think Kubiak will have his team ready to step up to the plate. We’ll have to see how it goes.
