The Las Vegas Raiders traveled to the East Coast to face a New York Jets team that was quietly better than their record indicated. The Raiders quickly learned this, as New York rushed for 140 yards in the first half and held the Raiders' offense to 97 total yards.
The Raiders needed every second they could get to pull out a win over the Jets. Below are the biggest decisions Klint Kubiak and his coaching staff made that impacted Sunday's win.
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The Raiders were faced with a tough decision down the stretch. Las Vegas could have punted the ball back to the Jets up by two points with little time left on the clock. Or the Raiders could kick a field goal from midfield to go up by five.
Missing the field goal would have given the Jets the ball back near midfield against the Raiders' struggling defense, needing only a field goal to win. With the game on the line, Las Vegas trusted their kicker, Matt Gay, who has only missed one field goal this season.
Gay has been one of the most dependable players on the roster this season. Las Vegas' special teams accounted for 14 of the team's 38 points on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. (4) is tackled by New York Jets safety Dane Belton (6) 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
Las Vegas needed more from their ground game in various ways. Starting Washington sparked the Raiders' offense in more ways than one. However, his success on the ground was not only because of him; the Raiders made other changes that helped the ground game get going as well.
May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Trey Zuhn III (66) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As we mentioned following Las Vegas' loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, not playing Zuhn more, specifically at a position of need, was becoming a more curious decision by the week. The Raiders drafted Zuhn because of his ability to play all five positions along the offensive line.
However, with three out of the five starting positions on the line solidified and their struggles at offensive guard, the Raiders finally gave the rookie a try at a position that had been derailing the entire unit. Overall, Zuhn did well in his first start at offensive guard.
This is even more notable because he spent most of his productive collegiate career at offensive tackle. Zuhn also confirmed during the offseason, entering his first offseason in the league, that offensive tackle was the position he is most comfortable with.
Still, Las Vegas has had a revolving door at offensive guard this offseason. It was clear that neither Jackson Powers-Johnson nor Caleb Rogers was able to play the position at a high enough level long enough to help Las Vegas' offense get going. The opposite may be true about Zuhn.
The Jets are the Jets. Zuhn's performance at the position moving forward will be worth keeping an eye on. In one game at the position, he looked more qualified for the position than anyone else the Raiders have tried this season. Furthermore, they have tried their best options at the position.
At this point, it is Zuhn or bust. If Las Vegas cannot get a solid remainder of the season from Zuhn at guard, there is little more they can do to fix the position. Week 7 gave reason to be cautiously optimistic about Zuhn's immediate future at the position.
Dependable play from their offensive guards is one thing the offense has lacked this season. If Zuhn becomes another starting offensive lineman for the Raiders as a rookie and plays well, that gives John Spytek and the Raiders' front office plenty to consider ahead of the trade deadline.
Zuhn becoming a starter halfway through his rookie season at a position Las Vegas wasn't going to address until the offseason would keep them ahead of schedule and make for another successful pick for Spytek.
Oct 18, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Treydan Stukes (31) reacts after deflecting a pass during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It would add even more value to the trade that landed Zuhn and rookie safety Treydan Stukes. The San Francisco 49ers will be a much stiffer test for Zuhn and the Raiders, but at the very least, he is no worse than any of the other players the Raiders have tried at right guard this season.
At the very most, he may be their starting right guard for the forseeable future.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Raiders Film Room: The Decisions That Changed Week 8 .
