Raiders’ late-game struggles return as they drop a third straight, despite pushing Bills in shootout

Las Vegas matched Buffalo for stretches, but stalled in the second half and came up short in key moments, leaving coach Klint Kubiak frustrated about how the Raiders closed the game.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Las Vegas Raiders went toe-to-toe with the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, but fell 33-30 and dropped their third straight game, a run that has exposed what coach Klint Kubiak described as an inability to close out contests after getting opportunities to win.

Kubiak, who was visibly frustrated in his postgame comments, said the Raiders did not close the game and emphasized that there was “plenty of improvement” needed, rejecting the idea of “moral victories” after a game he felt included multiple chances to come away with the win.

The Raiders bounced back from the previous week’s 28-point loss to the New England Patriots, but the same types of issues followed them again. Las Vegas committed seven penalties for 62 yards and struggled on the ground, failing to average more than five yards per carry, according to the team recap.

Buffalo set an early tone with a kickoff return by Ray Davis that created good field position, leading to a Tyler Bass field goal after a sack of Josh Allen by Quay Walker on a crucial third down. The Raiders answered with a balanced start, including a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Ashton Jeanty on their early drive and a halftime tie.

Despite momentum at the start of the second half, the Raiders stalled quickly. After three consecutive incompletions by Kirk Cousins took off less than 15 seconds from the clock, Buffalo used nearly five minutes to add three points. Kubiak pointed to a slow third-quarter start as a turning point and noted the Raiders have been outscored by 26 points in the third quarter this season.

The game shifted again when Cousins threw an interception intended for a double-covered Michael Mayer, setting up a Buffalo score. Las Vegas also highlighted a key theme after the loss, with players pointing to the absence of takeaways as a major reason they could not swing the outcome in their favor.

Still, the Raiders kept battling back. Las Vegas tied the game at 23 with a touchdown pass to Tre Tucker late in the fourth quarter, only to see James Cook respond with a rushing score and another field goal-driven swing that ultimately put the Bills in position to close out the final moments.

Why It Matters

A third straight loss keeps the Raiders in a difficult position while they try to establish consistency across all three phases rather than extended stretches of competitive play.
The recap underscores how much the third quarter has hurt Las Vegas this season, making the timing of scoring and momentum swings a central problem to solve.
The game also highlighted a turnover gap, with Raiders defenders and leaders pointing to the lack of takeaways as a decisive factor.
Next week’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, also coming off a one-score loss, becomes an immediate chance to stop the slide and reset priorities heading forward.

Sources

Key Facts

The Raiders lost to the Bills 33-30 in Week 6, marking their third straight defeat.
Coach Klint Kubiak said the Raiders did not close the game and called for improvement.
Las Vegas committed seven penalties for 62 yards and did not average more than five yards per carry.
Buffalo’s scoring swing included a Cousins interception that led to a touchdown and extended a second-half edge.
Kubiak attributed the turning point to the Raiders’ slow third-quarter start, noting they have been outscored by 26 points in the third quarter this season.
Las Vegas struggled in the red zone, with the recap citing a 2-for-5 mark and Kubiak calling that unacceptable.