Raiders' Vision Comes Into Focus: Inside Las Vegas' 2-0 Start

As the NFL season hits its stride on September 24, 2026, the Las Vegas Raiders are the talk of the league with a surprising 2-0 start. But according to insights gathered by Vulius Sports, this early success is no fluke—it's the result of a meticulously crafted plan years in the making. Owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek, minority owner Tom Brady, and head coach Klint Kubiak have aligned on a vision that extends far beyond the field. Before the Raiders could shock the football world, they had to settle on a direction, then assemble the people and resources to execute it. That process reaches back further than Kubiak's hiring, quarterback Fernando Mendoza's arrival, or even the Brady-Spytek partnership. It starts with Davis himself.

The Davis Doctrine: Building a Foundation for Sustained Success

Since inheriting the franchise from his late father, Al Davis, Mark Davis has always been candid about his limitations. His challenge was finding the right minds to fill those gaps and empowering them to make an impact. It has taken over a decade, a move from Oakland to Las Vegas, and the construction of Allegiant Stadium for Davis to truly put his stamp on the organization. But as the Raiders head to New Orleans seeking their first 3-0 start in five years, his broader vision is crystallizing: an organization equipped to win on the field and thrive off it. The financial transformation is staggering. Forbes valued the Raiders at $2.42 billion in 2018, just before their relocation. Their latest estimate is $10.3 billion—more than four times that figure. Estimated annual revenue of $887 million places them among the NFL's top-five revenue-generating teams. The league's financial boom helped, but Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium fundamentally changed the Raiders' business. Davis expanded the ownership group to include Egon Durban, Michael Meldman, Brady, Tom Wagner, and others, bringing an infusion of capital, business acumen, and influential relationships. In 2022, he hired Sandra Douglass Morgan, a respected attorney and business leader with deep Nevada roots, as team president. He also implemented a succession plan, giving Durban the option to acquire controlling interest should Davis decide to sell. The Raiders now have the resources to support their ambitions, and Davis has assembled the leadership to turn those advantages into lasting success.

Brady and Spytek: The Football Operation Takes Shape

Now the football operation must hold up its end, and that's where Brady, whose ownership stake essentially makes him the football operations leader, and Spytek, his handpicked general manager, come in. The former Michigan teammates have quickly put their imprint on the building. Spytek was always going to be the GM after the Raiders moved on from head coach Antonio Pierce and GM Tom Telesco following the 2024 season. His friendship with Brady began at Michigan and rekindled in Tampa Bay, where Spytek was a respected front-office executive when Brady arrived and helped the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl. They had trust and shared experience. The question was who would coach. That process led to an important and expensive first lesson—and proof that seven Super Bowl rings do not make anyone immune to a costly miscalculation. Hiring Pete Carroll was exactly that. But he wasn't Brady's first choice, and pointing that out provides a glimpse into how TB12 thinks. After firing Pierce, and prior to officially hiring Spytek, Brady targeted then-Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, a rising offensive mind who could develop a young quarterback and grow with a rebuilding team. Brady's influence took that pursuit further than anyone expected. But Johnson ultimately chose Chicago, where Caleb Williams was already waiting. The Raiders pivoted to Carroll, betting his experience and championship pedigree could speed up their turnaround. The plan was for the 73-year-old Carroll to help establish a winning culture and a sound foundation, then hand it off to a successor in three years. Instead, they paired a coach determined to win immediately with a roster that needed substantial work. Carroll saw urgency. Spytek saw a process. They never found enough common ground. That became a source of contention almost immediately. The disconnect extended to an offense featuring coordinator Chip Kelly and line coach Brennan Carroll. The operation never developed the cohesion needed to overcome its personnel shortcomings. Three wins later, the consequences were impossible to ignore.

The Kubiak-Mendoza Era: A Unified Approach

To their credit, Brady and Spytek did not compound the mistake by stubbornly trying to make it work. They recognized the mismatch, pulled the plug, and returned to the thinking that had made Johnson the first choice. This time, they had something more compelling to offer. The opportunity to draft Mendoza gave the Raiders a potential franchise quarterback to build around—and Kubiak, the hotshot offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, a reason to see Las Vegas as the place to build his future. Suddenly, the coach, the GM, and the organization were working toward the same future. It was the vision Spytek laid out after moving on from Carroll, when he described what would guide the Raiders' next move. "We want a meticulous build that will set us up for years of success in the future, and we have a great opportunity to do that with everything that we have in front of us right now." There was a hiring philosophy in those words. A roster-building strategy, too. Now, the Raiders are beginning to show what happens when ownership, management, and coaching agree on the destination. Kubiak also brought trusted assistants Andrew Janocko and Rick Dennison. Their familiarity with his teaching and expectations provided continuity last season's staff lacked. Signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins followed the same thinking. His history with Kubiak gave the Raiders someone who understood the offense and could demonstrate its demands while Mendoza learned them. How Cousins prepares, handles protections, and works through reads can reinforce what Mendoza hears in meetings. The idea was to accelerate two processes: Mendoza's development and the Raiders' return to competitive football. Cousins' limitations remain relevant. But if he helps the Raiders win while preparing his eventual replacement, that bridge will have taken them somewhere.

Roster Overhaul: Building Around Young Talent

The supporting personnel decisions reflected similar purpose. Tyler Linderbaum supplied an anchor at center. Spencer Burford addressed left guard. With healthy left tackle Kolton Miller, right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, and developing right tackle DJ Glaze, the line began looking capable of supporting the plan. Credit belongs beyond this administration. Telesco's only draft with the Silver-and-Black delivered Brock Bowers, Powers-Johnson, and Glaze. Whatever went wrong during his brief tenure, he left important building blocks. Spytek's selection of Ashton Jeanty added another piece. This offseason put better support around him. Drafting a talented running back and creating conditions for his success are separate responsibilities. The Raiders are beginning to fulfill both. Defensively, veteran free agents Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker gave Maxx Crosby experienced help. As importantly, the three newcomers are in their prime and under contract for at least three seasons. That is a departure from all those one-and-done veterans the Raiders plugged in nearly every season. Draft picks Treydan Stukes and Zeke Masses add youth to develop around that core. For too long, individual Raiders were asked to compensate for everything the roster lacked. Now they can contribute to a functioning whole.

The Road Ahead: Sustaining Momentum

That applies upstairs, too. Davis need not supply every answer. He must position the right people to find them. Brady's influence, Spytek's judgment, and Kubiak's coaching must reinforce one another. Money cannot improve a protection scheme or develop a quarterback. It can support investment in the people, facilities, and systems that do. Davis has spent years building that capacity. The responsibility now is using it. Bowers will return. Mendoza's opportunity will come. Better opponents will expose weaknesses that still need addressing. But the Raiders finally appear capable of pursuing immediate progress without abandoning their longer-term purpose. That is what Spytek's meticulous build should look like: decisions that help this Sunday without compromising the Sundays still ahead. The resources are there. So is the ambition. Through two games, there is evidence of a football operation beginning to match both. Davis gave the Raiders a new home in Las Vegas. The people he brought together are making it a place where winning can last. As highlighted on Vulius, the Raiders' journey is one to watch closely in 2026.