The Las Vegas Raiders snapped their four-game losing streak with a road win over the New York Jets in Week 8.
Below are the grades for each position group.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) gets a pass off as the New York Jets play Las Vegas Raiders in a week 8 NFL football game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in East Rutherford, NJ. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Kirk Cousins played a masterful second half against the Jets on Sunday. Cousins finished the first half with 79 passing yards, while completing six of his seven passes. The Raiders entered the half down 23-14.
Then, Cousins and the Raiders' offense rode their best third quarter of the season to victory. In the second half, Cousins completed 13 of his 19 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
That is the type of impactful stats the Raiders need from Cousins while they are still truly competitive in games, not when they are down two or three possessions entering the fourth quarter. Sunday proved that not all stats are the same- timing and context matter greatly.
Grade: A+
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. (4) rushes the ball against the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Raiders needed more from their ground game, since it had contributed little over the previous four weeks. Starting Mike Washington at running back threw a curveball for the Jets that they could not figure out for four quarters, as Washington paced Las Vegas' offense.
The Raiders leaned on the ground in the second half, running the ball 22 times for 68 yards, compared with 19 passes. Washington's strong second half took a decent part of the workload off of Cousins, allowing him to manage the game properly.
Ashton Jeanty finished the first half with one run and one reception on one target.
However, the burst he displayed on his 45-yard reception in the fourth quarter, which was mostly yards after the catch, showed that giving Jeanty some time off, as they did in the first half, was probably a move worth trying before Week 8 .
Grade: A
Raiders | Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI
Connor Heyward is a chess piece.
Grade: B
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor (9) makes a touchdown catch over New York Jets cornerback Azareye'h Thomas (1) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jalen Nailor was the only receiver to catch a pass against the Jets. Nailor and Tre Tucker combined for four catches on five targets. One of those receptions was a touchdown.
It would be a mistake to judge the unit's impact by stats, since Nailor did not have stats when the Raiders signed him this offseason. Instead, notice that Nailor and Tucker open up the offense, especially for the team's tight ends.
Las Vegas' first offensive drive displayed what the Raiders' brass has in mind for the unit long term.
Grade: C
Las Vegas' offensive line only allowed one sack on the day. Through Week 8, the unit has allowed the third-fewest sacks per game in the league. Last season, the unit allowed the most sacks in the league.
The unit also paved the way for a productive day running the ball.
Grade: A+
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Best group of tight ends in the league.
Grade: A
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It was far from pretty, but Las Vegas' defensive line quietly proved it can be effective enough against the run when the team is actually competitive enough in games that opposing offenses cannot run the ball an inflated number of times. In the first half, Las Vegas' defense allowed 140 rushing yards.
Las Vegas entered halftime down 23-14. Then, the Raiders' offense woke up early in the second half, instead of at the start of the fourth quarter, and produced its best third quarter of the season. Las Vegas scored points on its first offensive drive of the second half for the first time this season.
The Raiders' offense also scored more points in the third quarter than it had this season. After scoring three points in the past four third quarters combined, Las Vegas' offense scored 14 points in the third quarter on Sunday.
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) runs with the ball before being tackled by Las Vegas Raiders as the New York Jets play Las Vegas Raiders in a week 8 NFL football game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in East Rutherford, NJ. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
After allowing an eye-popping 140 rushing yards in the first half, Las Vegas' defense held the Jets to an equally eye-popping 26 rushing yards total in the second half. The Raiders' defense showed what it can do when its offense does its part.
It's almost as if the Raiders' offense scoring points helps the defense, mentally and physically.
Grade: B
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) attempts to make a catch against Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Quay Walker (7) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Las Vegas' defensive line's improvement against the run allowed Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker to be used properly in ways that fit their respective skill sets.
Grade: A
Sunday's win over the Jets clarified the specific issues plaguing the Raiders' defense. Stopping the run has been an issue, but they've struggled because of the running backs and quarterbacks they have faced in the weeks leading up to Week 8.
With Geno Smith not being nearly as much of a running threat as Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye, or Josh Allen, Las Vegas' defense eventually focused on stopping running backs out of the backfield rather than a mobile quarterback who is accurate and a talented runner.
Holding the Jets to 26 rushing yards in the second half forced Smith to throw the ball even more. Still, Las Vegas' defensive backfield also tightened up in the second half. Smith finished the first half with a 131 rating. His rating dropped to 64.3 in the second half.
It was far from pretty, but the Raiders' young defensive backfield figured it out just in time. They even sealed the win with an interception.
Grade: C
Dylan Laube's kickoff return for a touchdown was the Raiders' first in 15 years. It was the first time a kickoff had been returned for a touchdown this season in the entire league. That should explain how big of a deal it was. At halftime, Laube had as many points as the Raiders' offense.
Throughout this season, Laube's success, or lack thereof, has directly impacted the Raiders' offense. When he has a productive day returning the ball, Las Vegas' offense generally does well. When he does not have a good day returning kicks, the Raiders' offense struggles.
DarrellCraigHarris, ON SI
Kicker Matt Gay also had another strong outing, converting all five extra-point attempts and converting a 53-yard field goal with 31 seconds left, with Las Vegas up by only two points. His field goal forced the Jets' hand, as they needed a touchdown to win.
Without Gay's field goal, the Jets would have been in field-goal range with less than 30 seconds left, only down by two. Gay's eight points were the difference in Las Vegas' five-point win.
Punter AJ Cole continued to prove himself as one of the league's best at his position. Cole averaged over 50 yards per punt against the Jets.
Las Vegas' special teams unit accounted for a chunk of the Raiders' 38 points on Sunday. Hats off to special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis' unit on a stellar outing.
Grade: A+++++
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Grading Each Raiders Position Group Following Week 8 Win .
