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The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins in their first regular-season game under head coach Klint Kubiak. An eventful offseason has transitioned into meaningful games, starting with Las Vegas’ home opener against Miami. It is anyone’s guess what will happen on Sunday.
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The Raiders have improved their rosterover the past few months. The main question entering the season is no longer about the roster itself, but about how well the new pieces will fit under new leadership and schemes. Sunday will confirm how much progress the Raiders have made.
Game 1 of a New Era
Wins have been hard to come by for the Raiders in recent seasons. Kubiak marks the team’s fourth head coach in as many seasons. Las Vegas hopes Kubiak’s arrival and continued roster tweakswill lead to a change of fortune in the desert.
Kubiak shared his thoughts on Week 1, as Las Vegas prepares to face a Dolphins team with several unknowns of their own. The first-time head coach has little time to think about anything other than figuring out how to beat the Dolphins, with little information to work with.
“No, it’s a game. It’s not my first NFL game. It’s our first game as a staff, our first game as a team. That’s what I’m excited about. The ‘us’ part of it,” Kubiak said ahead of the team’s final practice before Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins.
“It’s game one for everybody. There’s unscouted looks, there’s unknowns. So, you worry about yourself, focus on yourself, and being the best version of ourselves.”
The Raiders’ first game under Kubiak will give everyone a better idea of how things will work on game days moving forward. Among other things, Las Vegas aims to implement a new culture that will eventually lead to more wins. First, they must get past Week 1 and the Dolphins.
Kubiak and the Raiders face multiple unknowns on Sunday against the Dolphins. Beyond game planning, Las Vegas will now have a new approach across the board on game days. Some of those changes will not be known until kickoff. Kubiak explained the challenges ahead for him and his staff.
“It’s just so much more important to be prepared than excited. So, our staff, our coaches, our players, it’s their game. They play on Sunday, and it’s been a blast being able to be in front of this team since April. It’s been a blessing. I’m so grateful for the opportunity, and I’m so grateful for the players that we have and the coaches that we have,” Kubiak said.
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“It’s things that you learn on the fly that you don’t have time for that maybe you did in the past, and that’s why you rely on your people. Our coaches, our trainers, our strength staff, it takes everybody to get ready for the game. So, we put a lot of pressure on our coaches to help me, and we all help each other.”
On paper, Las Vegas has improved significantly since the end of the 2025 season. However, teams that look better on paper do not win football games. The Raiders have to prove their improvement by performing well this season, starting Sunday against the Dolphins.
The Raiders have gotten off to poor starts each of the past three seasons, ultimately digging a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Their first game under Kubiak gives them a chance to start off on the right foot under Kubiak during a manageable first four games of the season.
Las Vegas addressed several coaching staff and roster-related issues this offseason. Yet, many roster-related issues remain. The Raiders hope their roster improvements can mask whatever deficiencies remain. Las Vegas’ matchup against Miami is critical for multiple reasons.
As the Raiders look to start the season 1-0, they will do so without star tight end Brock Bowers. It is a loss they will have a hard time compensating for. Las Vegas has already lost some of its best players to injury. They hope this trend does not continue.
Below are the Raiders’ inactives against the Dolphins.
Raiders Inactives vs. Dolphins
- Brock Bowers
- Aidan O’Connell
- Dalton Johnson
- Darrell Luter Jr.
- Cody Lindenberg
- Bryce Cabeldue
- JJ Pegues
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Complete Raiders Inactives List for Week 1 vs. Dolphins.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 12:02 PM.