The Las Vegas Raiders looked much improved during their 2026 season opener. Las Vegas dominated Miami 27-13 to win their first game under head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders delivered a great performance on both sides of the ball, and they didn't even have Brock Bowers in Week 1.

Raiders fans might be wary of getting too excited after just one game. Especially after the same exact thing happened to start the Pete Carroll era last year.

However, The Athletic's Sam Warren argued that something feels different about this Week 1 victory compared to last season.

“Of course, Raiders coaches have experienced this feeling before. Just over a year ago, they walked into Gillette Stadium and beat the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots in Week 1, giving Pete Carroll a win in his first game as the team’s head coach,” Warren wrote. “After that game, Carroll said they earned the right to enjoy “that kind of fun and (to) cheer on one another.” That sentiment faded fast as the Raiders went on to win two more games over the rest of the season, clinching the league’s worst record and costing Carroll his job.”

Everyone remembers how big of a disaster the Raiders were following that fluky Week 1 win.

So should Raiders fans get on board with this Kubiak regime after winning the season opener?

Why Raiders fans should buy in after Week 1 domination against the Dolphins

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

All of the biggest changes that Vegas made this offseason are already paying dividends.

It all starts with the coaching. Kubiak completely transformed the offense with his new scheme this offseason. That huge innovation, paired with the addition of veteran QB Kirk Cousins, made the Raiders much more consistent on offense.

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Cousins was far from perfect, going 21-of-30 for 160 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. But he kept the Raiders moving on offense and helped Ashton Jeanty take over the game.

The second-year running back had 102 rushing yards on top of 45 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Vegas needed one player on offense to step up, and Jeanty delivered.

Jeanty made it clear that the Raiders aren't worried about the past in 2026. They are looking to forge a new identity under Kubiak.

“The past is the past,” Jeanty told reporters during his postgame press conference. “We’re moving forward, and we’re not worried about what happened last year. This is a new team, new staff, and we’re building a new culture here. And that’s a culture that’s going to win football games.”

That is exactly what fans should want to hear from an offensive leader like Jeanty after just one game.

The best part is that Vegas still has room to improve. They could get better quarterback play out of Cousins, or even out of Fernando Mendoza. Bowers will also add a new dimension to the offense once he returns from injury.

To be clear, the Raiders are not suddenly AFC powerhouses. However, they showed enough in Week 1 to give fans legitimate hope for the future in the desert.