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

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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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Chapter:

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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 [email protected]. 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

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Preseason is over, the 53-man roster is set, and Scott Gulbransen says the last 72 hours have proven one thing: with this front office, "final roster" is a relative term. He starts with the move he thinks matters most — a waiver claim that cost the Raiders zero draft capital.

Las Vegas held the league's first waiver priority coming out of cutdowns and used their only claim on cornerback Derrell Luter Jr., plucked off the 49ers. Scott breaks down why it's bigger than it looked: Luter allowed just 1.8 yards after the catch per reception when targeted last season, second-best among defenders with 20-plus targets, and what the pick signals about how this front office is building the roster.

From there, Scott connects a cluster of related moves — Segun Olubi re-signed for special teams, Dante Thornton Jr. landing on IR for at least four games, Cody White added to the practice squad, and the Jordan Meredith trade, where a backup interior lineman turned into a 2027 sixth-round pick. Then the debate: the Raiders kept three quarterbacks, including Aidan O'Connell behind Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza, and Scott makes the case for and against keeping him instead of shopping him elsewhere.

In the back half, Scott shifts to the injuries that will actually decide Week 1 — Keyron Crawford's season-ending ankle injury, and a full update on Ashton Jeanty's ankle, including what it means for Mike Washington Jr. and the wide receiver room Scott says still isn't finished. Fantasy analyst Joe Pisapia of Fandom NFL then joins to talk Jeanty and Mendoza's draft value, Brock Bowers, and late-round sleepers, before a listener video from Tariq in Texas closes the show.

Check out Joe's show on YouTube for a fantasy edge: https://www.youtube.com/@FandomNFL

Also, FandomNFL on BLEAV: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fandom-nfl-w-joe-pisapia/id6796010118

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The Raiders are down to 53. Scott Gulbransen is joined by Raider Fan Radio’s Murf to break down every cut, every surprise, and every name that made the team, and they want Raider Nation weighing in with him while it happens.

Call in, comment, argue with a cut you don't like, tell us who you think won't make it through the week. This episode is built around the live conversation, not around a script.

There's a wrinkle waiting at the end of this roster, too. The Raiders landed the first waiver claim priority in the league this year, which means once cutdown day wraps around the NFL and players hit the wire, Las Vegas gets the first look at anyone another team let go, ahead of every other club in football.

So the 53-man roster on the board today isn't necessarily the 53-man roster the Raiders carry into Week 1. Scott and Murf walk through why Monday's roster could already look different from Sunday's, and who the front office might be eyeing off other teams' cut lists.

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00:00 Show open — special cutdown-day edition

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Camp is over, and Raider Nation is staring down two deadlines at once: tonight's preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers, and Saturday's roster cut down to 53 names. Scott Gulbransen breaks down both, starting with the injury hanging over everything.

Ashton Jeanty went down diving for a low Kirk Cousins pass Sunday and couldn't put weight on his right leg, prompting the entire team to take a knee in prayer. Head coach Klint Kubiak stayed characteristically tight-lipped on Tuesday, offering only "he's on the mend," but reports since then point to a low ankle sprain rather than anything long-term. Scott lays out why there's still a real chance Jeanty opens the season on the shelf, and why that makes fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr. one of the most important names in the building. With Jeanty sidelined the last two practices, Washington stepped into first-team work, showed real growth as a pass catcher out of the backfield, and is averaging over 8 yards a carry through two preseason games.

From there, Scott runs through the rest of the rookie class making late-camp noise: second-round safety Treydan Stukes, who's taking heavy first-team reps and drawing praise from defensive coordinator Rob Leonard; cornerback Darien Porter, whose recovery speed has shown up against Brock Bowers and Jalen Nailor; and offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III, whose versatility across the line could be the difference-maker in a crowded position group. Plus the latest on No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, his chemistry with Malik Benson, why Scott still doesn't think he should start Week 1, and how Kubiak is keeping the quarterback competition close to the vest.

Also in this episode: the right guard battle between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers, what to watch for tonight against the 49ers, a call from Anders in Oakland pushing back on the offensive line and the Mendoza timeline, and Scott's honest read on where this rebuild actually stands heading into Week 1.

BE PART OF THE SHOW Call or text: 702-907-8697 (confirm before publishing, see flag below) Email your video or comment: [email protected] Find us on YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok and Spotify: search Silver and Black Today

Silver and Black Today is part of BLEAV.

Chapters:

00:00 Jeanty's injury and the team's prayer 02:35 Kubiak's tight-lipped injury update 05:14 The backfield names to know 07:04 Mike Washington Jr. takes over first-team reps 11:14 Trey Stokes and Darien Porter's late-camp surge 14:31 Fernando Mendoza and the QB1 question 18:25 Trey Zion III and offensive line versatility 20:01 Roster locks and the right guard battle 24:00 What to watch tonight vs. the 49ers 26:35 The foundation analogy and win-total expectations 32:33 Listener call: Anders from Oakland 38:07 Sign-off

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Ashton Jeanty's ankle sprain sends a jolt through Raider Nation, but Scott Gulbransen explains why the backfield may be in better shape than fans think, thanks to fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr. Then it's the biggest question in Henderson: is this Kirk Cousins' team or Fernando Mendoza's, and what is head coach Klint Kubiak really signaling heading into Thursday's preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers?

In this episode: Jeanty's Sunday practice injury and what's known about the ankle sprain, Mike Washington Jr.'s preseason production (63 yards on 6 carries vs. Arizona, 56 yards on 9 carries vs. Houston) and what it means schematically under Kubiak, Kubiak's "job to lose" comment on Cousins, Fernando Mendoza's rough box score against Houston and the case for patience, Will Anderson's praise for Mendoza's poise, and a look at a struggling Raiders wide receiver room after Kubiak's blunt "we took a step backwards" comment. Plus caller Jacob from Fresno and a stack of viewer comments in the Raider Nation Court of Public Opinion.

Silver and Black Today is part of the Believe Podcast Network. Subscribe wherever you get your audio, or on YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok and Spotify. Email your video or comment: [email protected]

Chapters:

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In the debut episode of Silver & Black Verdicts, Judge Gully puts Raider Nation's preseason panic on trial. After Fernando Mendoza's rough pick-six outing, fans and national media are ready to bench Kirk Cousins and hand the rookie the keys — but the court isn't buying it. Judge Gully lays out the defense: rushing a ten-year franchise investment before he's ready isn't patience; it's panic, and the same people demanding Mendoza now would be the first to blame the coaching staff if he struggled. Verdict: stay the path, start Cousins, let Mendoza develop on his own clock — case closed.

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The Raiders escaped Houston with a 22-20 comeback win, but the real story broke after the final whistle. Fernando Mendoza ran the entire first half of the offense, threw an early pick-six, and struggled — then Aidan O'Connell came off the bench and threw for 166 yards, including the game-winning score. Afterward, head coach Klint Kubiak refused to name Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter, telling reporters "We got another week. I don't want anyone to be comfortable in their job."

On this episode of Silver & Black Today, Scott Gulbransen breaks down what Kubiak's comments actually mean for the quarterback competition, why Mendoza's rough start might matter less than the box score suggests, what Aidan O'Connell's performance does to that quarterback room, and every notable moment from the win over Houston — including Malik Benson's continued rise, the Jackson Powers-Johnson injury situation, and what to watch as the Raiders return to practice ahead of next week's preseason finale against the 49ers.

Silver & Black Today is your source for Las Vegas Raiders news and analysis, part of the BLEAV Podcast Network.

Follow the show: @LVGully / @SNBToday

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro and show setup

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