Silver and Black Today

Raiders 26, Chargers 14. Vegas is 2-0 for the first time since 2021, and it's their first win at SoFi Stadium since then. Scott Gulbransen is joined by Murf from Raiders Fan Radio, calling in from a pool deck in Florida, to sort through a game that got messy in the middle before the Raiders closed it out.

Klint Kubiak becomes the first Raiders head coach to start 2-0 since Bill Callahan, and Kirk Cousins becomes the first Raiders quarterback with three touchdown passes in each of the first two weeks since Kenny Stabler did it in 1976. Cousins wasn't perfect, and the offensive line gave him plenty of reason to scramble, but he found Tez Tucker deep twice and got two touchdowns out of practice-squad call-up Cody White.

The defense is the real story. Nakobe Dean's forced fumble on Omari Hampton flipped the game, and rookie fifth-rounder Hezekiah Masses picked off two passes filling in for an injured Darien Porter. Scott and Murph make the case that this linebacking corps, with Dean, Quay Walker and Maxx Crosby, might be the best the Raiders have had since their last Super Bowl run in 2002.

In this episode: the offensive line's rough day and why DJ Glaze struggled specifically, Ashton Jeanty's three drops and 48 rushing yards, a play Scott thinks should've been overturned from the booth, John Spytek's draft classes starting to show up on the field, and live viewer call-ins with Tarek in Texas, Rossi in Australia and Pastor Mike in Boise, Idaho. Scott closes with a look ahead to next week's road trip to New Orleans.

Tonight's Super Chats go straight to the One Nation Foundation, supporting Raiders charities including Raider Dad. Check them out at 1nationfoundation.net.

Silver and Black Today is part of the Believe Podcast Network. Tonight's post game show is brought to you by Kalshi — use code MENDOZA for $25 free with your first deposit.

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Show open — Kalshi Silver and Black Today postgame show
1:22 Scott brings in Murph, vacationing in Florida
1:42 Final score: Raiders 26, Chargers 14 — Vegas moves to 2-0
1:55 Kubiak matches Bill Callahan's start as a first-year head coach
2:28 Setting up the turnover story and Nakobe Dean's summer hype
6:13 Kirk Cousins' case for the game ball
6:26 First Raiders QB with 3 TDs in Weeks 1-2 since Kenny Stabler in 1976
7:13 Why Cousins' composure carried the offense through a rough day
10:10 Cody White's two touchdowns off the practice squad
10:36 Ashton Jeanty's three drops, including one that nearly cost the game
10:57 Hezekiah Masses' two interceptions filling in for Darien Porter
11:33 What John Spytek's draft class is proving on the field
17:16 The case for the best Raiders linebacking corps since 2002
21:01 Nakobe Dean's forced fumble — the play of the game
21:14 Kalshi segment — how the prediction market works, plus Scott's Giants-Rams pick
23:51 Back to the offensive line's rough day
25:06 DJ Glaze's tough game and the schedule getting harder
28:16 Comparing Kubiak's coaching staff to Antonio Pierce's
30:37 The turnover swing — Chargers fumbled the ball six times
33:03 The disputed forward-fumble ruling Scott wanted challenged
34:08 Fan drop-in: Tarek in Texas
38:04 Fan drop-in: Rossi in Australia on the road SoFi crowd
40:12 Malcolm Koonce's return to form at edge
45:57 Fan drop-in: Pastor Mike in Boise, Idaho
53:08 Scott's closing breakdown and a look ahead to New Orleans
56:44 One Nation Foundation, super chats, and sign-off

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Raiders are 1-0, but we're not just taking the win and moving on. We break down the deep-ball problem hiding in the box score, bring in former Charger and LSU national champion Breiden Fehoko for a no-holds-barred read on the 0-1 Chargers, and open up the phone lines for the Raider Nation Court of Public Opinion.

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro, welcome back Raider Nation
01:10 — Raiders 1-0, but there's a stat line that should make you nervous
01:45 — Breaking down Kirk Cousins' split stat line: elite under 10 air yards, 1-for-7 with 2 picks over 10 yards
03:23 — Three theories on the deep ball issue: arm strength, play design, or receiver separation
05:39 — Theory 3: is the wide receiver room the real problem?
09:10 — Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers absence and why WR separation matters
13:00 — What "fixed" looks like by Week 4, and prediction for the Chargers game
15:35 — Brock Bowers injury update: day-to-day, not week-to-week
19:49 — Prediction on Bowers' snap count for Sunday
20:26 — Max Crosby's managed workload: why his snap count dropped and why that's by design
25:00 — Kalshi prediction market picks for Raiders-Chargers
28:03 — Breiden Fehoko joins the show
29:07 — Fehoko on the Chargers: "the West Coast Cleveland Browns"
30:35 — Jim Harbaugh accountability and red flags from Chargers' Week 1 loss
34:21 — What Fehoko saw from the Raiders defense and Maxx Crosby's culture
37:03 — Offensive line turnaround under Klint Kubiak, DJ Glaze and Tyler Linderbaum
40:23 — Brock Bowers as a matchup nightmare, compared to Darren Waller and Derwin James
45:20 — Fernando Mendoza timeline: the Patrick Mahomes/Alex Smith comparison
53:15 — Wrap with Fehoko, prediction for Sunday's game
58:22 — Raider Nation Court of Public Opinion opens: Raider Rob's call

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The Raiders opened the 2026 season 1-0, beating the Miami Dolphins 27-13 in their first home opener since 2021. Scott Gulbransen breaks down a game that answered a lot of questions, starting with Ashton Jeanty, who erased any doubt about his ankle with 23 carries for 102 yards, 45 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Scott credits the rebuilt offensive line for the holes Jeanty ran through all night and argues the O-line, not Jeanty, deserves the game ball. Kirk Cousins finished 21-of-30 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Scott makes the case that one uneven game doesn't put his job in danger. On defense, Rob Leonard's plan neutralized De'Von Achane and Miami's run game, and rookie safety Trey Stokes stood out in a defensive effort Scott calls physical and disciplined from the start.

The one real concern from the win: a wide receiver group that produced modest numbers behind Jeanty and Michael Mayer, a problem Scott has flagged for weeks and will be watching closely over the next few games, especially with Brock Bowers' return timeline uncertain. Scott also previews next week's road trip to face a Chargers team coming off a loss to the Cardinals, and looks further out at the difficult stretch against New Orleans, Kansas City and New England.

Scott takes calls and reads live chat throughout, covering Maxx Crosby's improved supporting cast, realistic win-total expectations for a rebuilding roster, and why this is a foundation-building year regardless of the final record.

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Silver and Black Today is part of BLEAV.

Chapter:
00:00 Raiders open 1-0 — reaction to the 27-13 win
1:48 Ashton Jeanty answers the ankle questions
2:42 Kirk Cousins' two picks and final stat line
3:34 The offensive line's turnaround
4:49 Young defense flashes early
6:04 The wide receiver concern
9:51 Schedule check: Chargers, Saints, and the road ahead
12:53 No rush to Mendoza
15:50 Handing out the game ball
19:59 Live chat and caller reactions
24:14 Win-total expectations for a rebuilding roster
35:01 Fixing the receiver room going forward
38:44 Wrap-up and Chargers preview

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Brock Bowers had a meniscus trim in Dallas and will miss Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Klint Kubiak’s Week 1 plan just lost its engine — and the thin Raiders wide receiver room is impossible to hide.

Scotty Branson breaks down the Bowers timeline (trim vs. repair), $8.2 million in new cap space from Quay Walker and Jaylen Nailor, Ashton Jeanty returning to practice, Michael Mayer’s snap jump, why Fernando Mendoza is still not the Week 1 answer, and the keys to beating Miami at Allegiant. Plus Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Jeff Hafley, Malik Willis, and a Dolphins roster that’s thin at receiver too.

Prediction: Raiders 20, Dolphins 13.

Also on 101.5 K-Dawn in Las Vegas — Saturday at 4 PM this week (Dodgers preempt the usual 5 PM slot). Season 9 is back on Vegas radio. BLEAV Podcast Network.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Postgame episode drops Sunday.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro + 9/11 remembrance

2:31 Bowers out, Jeanty back

3:16 Cap moves: Walker + Nailor

5:08 Bowers surgery & timeline

8:27 WR room exposed

9:11 Michael Mayer’s opportunity

13:40 Mendoza still not Week 1

16:43 Jeanty practice update

23:55 Dolphins preview

27:03 Chris Perkins interview

35:15 Miami without Bowers

39:33 Two thin receiver rooms

41:39 Jeanty vs Miami run D

43:38 Hafley’s measuring stick

46:16 Keys to the game

47:45 Overreaction or concern?

50:06 Week 1 success + 20-13 pick

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Regular season week is finally here, and Scott Gulbransen opens with the two storylines Raider Nation can't stop arguing about. Kirk Cousins is officially the Week 1 starter, but Scott reads between the lines of head coach Klint Kubiak's "he's earned it" comment to explain why that's a football decision, not a philosophical one about Fernando Mendoza's future. Then it's the Ashton Jeanty question everybody's asking: two-plus weeks removed from his August 23 ankle sprain, still without a practice rep, but hearing surprisingly upbeat language from the front office. Scott breaks down the gap between what's being said publicly and what's actually shown up on the practice field, and points to one roster decision that tells you more than any quote does.

In this episode: Kubiak's exact quote naming Cousins the Week 1 starter and why Scott thinks it's being over-read as a long-term stance on Mendoza, the case for and against playing Mendoza sooner rather than later, Scott's updated Mendoza timeline (now more likely Week 7 or 8 than after the bye), a full timeline of Jeanty's ankle injury through GM John Spytek's September 1 comments, why the Raiders keeping only three running backs on the 53-man roster is the real signal to watch, rookie defensive end Kyron Crawford's season-ending Achilles injury, a shoutout to depth signing Patrick Johnson, and a note on Allegiant Stadium's newly approved $75 million north entry upgrade.

Scott also previews Saturday's radio premiere on KDWN 101.5 FM in Las Vegas (moved up to 4 PM this week only, streaming on the Audacy app), which includes an interview with longtime Dolphins beat writer Chris Perkins ahead of Sunday's opener.

Be part of the show: call or text 702-907-8697 (confirm digits before publishing — flagged below), or email mail@silverandblacktoday.com. Find us on YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok and Spotify: search Silver and Black Today. Silver and Black Today is part of the BLEAV Podcast Network.

Chapters:

00:00 Show open — Labor Day recap and five days to kickoff
00:57 Saturday's radio simulcast moves to 4 PM on KDWN 101.5
01:37 Three things on today's show
02:12 Viewer question — Jeanty full go, limited snaps, or out entirely
03:27 Kirk Cousins named the official Week 1 starter
04:03 Breaking down Kubiak's "he's earned it" quote
05:56 Where that leaves Fernando Mendoza on the depth chart
07:00 The case for playing Mendoza sooner
07:56 The case for sitting Mendoza behind Cousins
13:49 Scott's verdict and his updated Mendoza timeline
17:56 Ashton Jeanty's actual practice timeline since the August 23 sprain
19:57 What Kubiak and GM John Spytek have said publicly
22:56 The roster tell — why the Raiders kept only three running backs
25:47 What the front office's silence signals about Jeanty's plan
27:23 Kyron Crawford's season-ending Achilles injury
28:55 Why Patrick Johnson's roster spot deserves more attention
32:16 Zooming out on the roster build heading into Sunday
34:26 Where the receiver room still needs to prove itself
37:23 What Scott's watching the rest of this week
39:33 Recap — send in your Jeanty and Mendoza predictions
44:44 A note on Allegiant Stadium's $75 million entry upgrade
48:33 Saturday's radio show and the Chris Perkins interview
49:04 Sign-off — five days to kickoff vs. the Dolphins

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