Raiders rally to beat Jets 38-33, snap four-game skid
The Las Vegas Raiders rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to defeat the New York Jets 38-33 at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 1, snapping a four-game losing streak and improving to 4-4 for the 2026 season. Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards with three touchdown throws and no interceptions, and he added a rushing touchdown as the Raiders put up a season-high 38 points. The victory ended Las Vegas’ four-game slide and marked the club’s first .500 or better record after eight games since 2021.
Las Vegas trailed 23-14 at halftime after the Jets scored on each of their first five possessions in the opening two quarters. The Raiders managed only one first-half touchdown, a third-and-goal connection from Cousins to Brock Bowers, and were held scoreless the rest of the half. Special teams provided a huge momentum swing when rookie returner Dylan Laube took a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, the Raiders’ first kickoff-return TD since Jacoby Ford on Oct. 16, 2011.
The Raiders opened the third quarter with another Cousins-to-Bowers touchdown to make it 23-21, and the Jets answered with a quick 58-yard drive to push the lead to 30-21. Las Vegas then mounted its decisive response with two clock-consuming touchdown drives of more than four minutes each, the first set up by Cousins’ one-yard rushing score and the second highlighted by a touchdown catch from Jalen Nailor, his first since joining the Raiders. Matt Gay added a late field goal after a long possession that consumed roughly four minutes and left 27 seconds on the clock, and Jeremy Chinn intercepted Geno Smith on the final play to seal the win.
Brock Bowers finished with seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns and continued a historic stretch, becoming the first tight end in NFL history with at least 70 receiving yards in each of his first six games of a season. Cousins praised Bowers’ ability to draw coverage and make plays, a theme that surfaced repeatedly during the comeback. Laube said his job is to supply energy on every play, whether by tackling, returning or blocking, and that the kickoff return was an effort to spark the offense, defense and crowd.
Defensive improvements after halftime helped the Raiders hold off the Jets down the stretch. Jeremy Chinn finished with 10 tackles and the game-clinching interception, while Nakobe Dean led the team with 12 tackles. Maxx Crosby recorded his first sack in four games just before halftime and finished with one sack, two quarterback hits and four tackles as Las Vegas pressured the Jets more effectively in the second half.
Coach Klint Kubiak said the team made adjustments at halftime and played with greater intensity after the break, forcing two punts and generating the turnover that ended New York’s comeback hopes. The Raiders’ 38 points were their highest output of the season and represented their second win this year after trailing by at least nine points in the second half. According to the Las Vegas Raiders’ official website, the game was detailed by Raiders.com contributor Harry Ruiz, who reported from MetLife Stadium.
NFL Sports Blog Take
This win showcased the elements Las Vegas needs to sustain success: efficient quarterback play from Cousins, consistent production from Brock Bowers and a special-teams play that changes field position instantly. The defense answered the game plan adjustments at halftime, with Chinn and Dean delivering the tackling and turnover that the unit lacked in the first half. If the Raiders can reproduce the second-half discipline and sustain the offensive balance shown Sunday, that .500 mark at midseason could be the platform for a meaningful second half of the schedule. Special teams contributions like Laube’s 95-yard return are a reminder that victories often hinge on complementary phases, not just offensive fireworks.