The Raiders got a vintage comeback from Kirk Cousins. They may need his heroics in upcoming stretch

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — There was the “You like that?” comeback against Tampa Bay in 2015 and the record rally against Indianapolis in 2022, so Kirk Cousins was in a familiar situation Sunday with the Raiders down nine points midway though the third quarter at the New York Jets.

He led Las Vegas to a 38-33 victory, finishing the game with three touchdown passes, one TD run and an emphatic celebration.

Cousins’ ability to remain calm and confident while down two possessions was critical against the Jets, and for the road ahead.

The Raiders ended a four-game losing streak and moved back to .500 as they prepare to face three tough opponents: San Francisco, Seattle and Denver.

“As an overall player, he’s been a real blessing,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said Monday of Cousins. “Our team has played really good football, and we’re right around the halfway mark and we have a lot of football left to play. None of us are satisfied where we’re at. We just want to keep getting better.”

Cousins has continued to defy expectations that No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza would take over as the starter around this time. It’s hard to bench a quarterback whose 19 touchdown passes are second only to the 20 by Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. Cousins is completing 63.6% of his passes and averaging 265.5 yards per game.

His experience and success in tough situations were important against the Jets when the Raiders trailed 23-14 at halftime and 30-21 with 8:20 left in the third quarter.

Cousins has been in much deeper holes.

He rallied Washington from 24-0 deficit to defeat the Buccaneers in 2015, famously walking by cameras after the game and yelling, “You like that?” Cousins engineered the biggest comeback in NFL history seven years later as Minnesota erased a 33-0 deficit to beat the Colts.

“I’ve always tried not to ride the roller coaster,” Cousins said. “But that also means sometimes when things are going well, I’m a little more steady. I don’t get too fired up sometimes. You see me say, ‘You like that’ or ‘Let’s go’ or whatever, but for the most part I just try to be steady because I know in this league there are going to be ups and downs.

“You’ve just got to believe that if you keep playing, there’s a good chance you’ll be right there in the fourth quarter.”

What’s working

The run game. Finally. Mike Washington Jr. was given the workload over starter Ashton Jeanty, and he rushed for 83 yards on 25 carries. Las Vegas needed the boost after averaging 55.8 yards rushing over its previous four games. Kubiak said Washington, Jeanty and Dylan Laube can all be counted on to produce.

“I think it’s always a moving target,” Kubiak said of distributing playing time. “See where your team’s at and who’s playing the best ball at the time. It’s a 17-game regular season where things change every week.”

What needs help

While the Raiders found success running the ball, stopping the run remains a major problem. They are last in the league in yards rushing allowed per play (5.11) and second to last in yards allowed per game (146.4). The Jets rushed for 166 yards, but for some reason New York went away from the ground attack in the second half, with just four carries for 26 yards.

Stock up

Wide receiver Jalen Nailor caught eight passes for 75 yards over the first seven games. Against the Jets, Nailor had four catches for 38 yards and the go-ahead TD.

“Having played with him in Minnesota in 2022 and seeing what he’s done, I kept telling him, even this week, ‘We’ve really underutilized you so far,’” Cousins said. “I think it was either Monday or Tuesday when I saw him in the locker room and I said, ‘That’s not on you. You’re separating. You’re putting on tape that we need to give you more opportunities.’ He’s got game, and I believe in him.”

Stock down

Several players learned that playing time is not guaranteed.

Kubiak showed he isn’t afraid to shake things up when he benched Jeanty — drafted sixth overall last year — for most of the game.

Kubiak has been trying to find something at right guard, and may have done just that with rookie Trey Zuhn III receiving his first start after Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers struggled. Meanwhile, wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. was a healthy scratch after being activated off injured reserve last week.

“I think he has to steal another guy’s job,” Kubiak said. “That’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to leapfrog somebody.”

Injuries

CB Darien Porter (groin) and DT Tonka Hemingway (stinger) will be evaluated this week.

Key number

221 — The number of points the Raiders have scored this season, tied for fourth most in franchise history through eight games. Of the four other teams to score at least that many points at this stage, three reached the Super Bowl, and the fourth lost the 1968 AFL title game.

Next steps

The Raiders visit former Bay Area rival San Francisco on Sunday. That’s the second of a five-game stretch that includes four away games.

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