Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Fernando Mendoza Gives 3-14 Raiders Hope as Kirk Cousins Opens Season at Quarterback

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Fernando Mendoza Gives 3-14 Raiders Hope as Kirk Cousins Opens Season at Quarterback

Q: Will Maxx Crosby's recovery from offseason knee surgery be enough to anchor a Raiders defense desperate for star power?

Probably not by itself, though it gives the Raiders a fighting chance to be respectable on defense. Crosby’s recovery appears to be trending well. After January meniscus surgery, he progressed from rehab-only work in the spring to being cleared for training camp work, and he has said he feels close to full strength. Coaches have also indicated confidence in his availability. Even last season, while playing through the knee issue, he still led the Raiders in sacks, tackles for loss and pressures, and he remains their one proven game-changing defender. That matters because Las Vegas still lacks star power beyond him. The additions of Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Taron Johnson should improve the depth and competence of the unit, but none carries Crosby’s week-to-week disruptive value. If he is healthy, he can elevate the pass rush, force offenses to slide protection his way and create easier opportunities for the rest of the front. The larger issue is that one elite edge rusher rarely fixes a defense alone. The Raiders are still thin in high-end talent, and their overall success will depend on whether the new pieces hold up in coverage, whether the linebackers stabilize the middle and whether the unit avoids putting too much on Crosby snap after snap. So Crosby’s recovery is enough to make him the clear anchor of the defense. It is probably not enough, by itself, to turn the Raiders into a strong defensive team.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Las Vegas enters 2026 with rare optimism after drafting Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, even though veteran Kirk Cousins is expected to start as a bridge quarterback.
That cautious plan reflects a roster still coming off a 3-14 season and just seven combined wins in two years, with first-year coach Klint Kubiak overseeing a broader rebuild rather than a quick turnaround.
Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby give the Raiders proven top-end talent—Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns two years ago—while rookie Malik Benson emerged in camp as a possible help for a thin receiving group.
The bigger test is whether an upgraded but still shaky offensive line, unproven secondary and a brutal early run against Kansas City, New England, Buffalo and the Rams bury Las Vegas before Mendoza is ready.
For a team not expected to escape the AFC West cellar, progress late in the season and signs that Mendoza is the long-term answer would likely count as success.