​Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins during the preseason finale against teh San Francisco 49ers on August 27, 2026 GettyLas Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins can boast about ten first-week starts between his stops in Washington, Minnesota, and Atlanta. He sports a 92.5 passer rating, 2,493 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Subsequently, he averages 249.3 yards on a 68.2% completion rate. Granted, those stats seem extremely solid and could lead one to believe that the game will progress smoothly. However, the deeper metrics display a slide in the number of bad passes and yards per attempt. Despite being a veteran, Cousins has shown a decline in production.“I think this is going to be Kirk Cousins’ job, barring injury, until at least the bye week.”@ESPNBooger believes it will be a while until Fernando Mendoza starts ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OrxFv3Laks— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 2, 2026https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsThe Raw DataIncluded in those fairly stable numbers, you can see two standout games. First, in 2019, he connected on 80% of his passes against the Atlanta Falcons. Next was a 16-point win against the Green Bay Packers. Those show the Raiders that Cousins can settle in, focus, and move through the game with the ability to not only succeed but thrive. In contrast, two significant low points are also apparent. In 2024, he delivered a performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers that included two interceptions and a completion rate below 64%.&“Kirk Cousins is our starter.”Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak on the Raiders quarterback situation:🎥: @MikeDixon_VST#RaiderNation | #Raiderspic.twitter.com/wgZITx1d7n— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) July 28, 2026https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsProduction VariesWhile Cousins completes a significant number of passes, the issue lies in their placement. When he is performing well, Cousins can effectively throw the ball downfield, as evidenced by his impressive 10.4 yards per attempt against Green Bay in 2020. Sacks lead to turnovers for him. In those ten occasions. Only one time, he’s escaped with a victory after a three-sack, Week 1 performance. The pressure appears to rattle Cousins.Stay hungry. The competition never stops.Hear from GM John Spytek, Kirk Cousins, and Bryant McFadden on the first edition of Training Camp Special.Tap in: https://t.co/vM0RMwgP7Ppic.twitter.com/3NgN2aq5EK— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) July 30, 2026https://platform.x.com/widgets.js What to ExpectOne of the hallmarks of the Raiders’ new offense under Kubiak is play action, where Cousins hope to lure defenses downhill. His +.18 under-center play-action stat suggests he looks comfortable and can fool the defense. Kubiak’s system is a derivative of Mike Shanahan’s system. In Washington, the signal caller cut his teeth in that system and also played in it while in Minnesota.Under those circumstances, Cousins fully understands the scheme. The Raiders will focus on intermediat