Mistakes will happen, it’s how Klint Kubiak corrects them that’s key

HENDERSON, NEVADA - MAY 28: Head coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on May 28, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

At this point of the offseason, it's sunshine and rainbows for the Las Vegas Raiders.

The team landed a much-hyped young offensive mind in Klint Kubiak to helm the team. Alongside general manager John Spytek, the head coach and chief personnel man rolled up their collective sleeves to build a roster via free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Raiders landed prized center Tyler Linderbaum to anchor the offensive line with veteran Kirk Cousins expected to earn the starting quarterback gig. Linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker were brought in to shore up a deficient defense, just to name a few free agent additions.

Las Vegas then proceeded to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick and used the next 10 selections to bring 11 promising prospects into the fold. This group includes cornerback Jermod McCoy, a first-round talent the Raiders snagged in the fourth round due to long-term concerns with the Tennessee products knee.

And that mix of veterans and rookies alongside Kubiak and his coaching staff began the heavy-lifting during OTAs and minicamp doing the scheme and system installs. It was a venture where helmets were absent the Raiders' shield initially before earning them in time for minicamp.

The #Raiders earned the shield in time for minicamp.

New HC Klint Kubiak says he waited to apply helmet decals to help his team "earn the respect of the organization, of the Raiders that have come before us, players and coaches."

"I thought they definitely earned that thing...... pic.twitter.com/wqovq5aLso

- Nick Walters (@nickwalt) June 11, 2026

We're an improved team. Our guys have taken the coaching," Kubiak said after the final day of the team's minicamp on June 11. They're doing everything we ask them to do. I definitely see an improvement from where we started, and this time of year, you can kind of get lulled to sleep when the pads aren't on."

So it's no surprise that our Bill Williamson noted that Raiders fans are feeling good.

But mistakes will happen. There will be no avoiding that. Especially with a rookie head coach - no matter how much a genius Kubiak at building and calling plays for an offense. How the 39-year-old first-time head honcho learns from the mistakes, corrects them, and grows is pivotal.

Training camp, preseason games, and the drastic deduction from a 90-man roster to the regular season 53-man slate are on tap for the Raiders. That late July excursion is where we'll find out how the Kubiak era is going and the potential direction it will go. It's when Las Vegas and the other 31 teams in the NFL get to put on pads and get physical - live contact. Kubiak is all too aware how vital that is.

So, what team that we're going to become, we'll find out come training camp when we put pads on. There's so many guys that are maybe doing great right now that will disappear come the fall," Kubiak said. There's so many guys that you maybe not notice as much, but all of a sudden, whether it's a running back or an offensive lineman or defensive lineman, now that guy really shows his value. So, you get what you can out of this time of year, and then the real evaluation comes with those 11 practices before we play that first preseason game."

Compared to what the Raiders had as a coaching staff last season, the bar is set remarkably low for Kubiak. Rife with incompetence, Las Vegas hit the reset button on Pete Carroll, facilitating the quest to and eventual hire of Kubiak. Thus, Silver & Black go from nepo baby Brennan Carroll as offensive line coach to qualified and trusted veteran Rick Dennison. Well-versed in the zone blocking scheme - particularly the outside/wide zone run blocking that's been a staple of the Kubiak-family philosophy, Dennison is one of Kubiak's most trusted lieutenants. Another is offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. While he won't be calling plays, he's a valuable sounding board and fixer for Kubiak, and the trio were part of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks staff last season.

Bold take from @TheMarcJohnNFL: Kubiak is gonna run more power and less outside zone he has in the past. 2 power backs and both McVay/Shanahan have switched up their schemes.

What do you think? #RaiderNationpic.twitter.com/DQ3DTB1CTn

- Raiders Fandom (@raiders_fandom) June 9, 2026

For Dennison, Klint marks the second Kubiak the offensive line coach has worked for. He was paired up with Gary Kubiak with the Houston Texans (2010-13) and Denver Broncos (2015-16). And now, he's with Gary's son Klint in Las Vegas. Head coaches tend to build coaching staffs based on prior relationships and yes - even nepotism, cough, the Carroll's - so it wasn't shocking to see Kubiak bring Janocko and Dennison with him to the Raiders. There's a method to this madness, the Raiders head coach noted.

Yeah, when you're putting the staff together, it's really about finding the best guy, and when you can have people that you've worked with before, when it's all on the line in the fire, you know how that person's going to respond. There's a lot of value in that," Kubiak said. I don't want to find out about my coaches when it's 4th-and-10 what they're really about. If I know what they're about coming into the building, I know what to expect and know who I can count on. So, you have to have trust in those guys, and I have trust in these men.

There are a few individuals that I don't know, but it's been a pleasure to work with them, and we're just like the players, when it's all on the line, we've got to perform as well. So, having a staff of guys that are in the boat with you and have your back goes a long way."

One of Kubiak's calling cards is his prioritization of player accountability and pacing. That means uncanny attention to detail. He assembled a coaching staff around him that are ardent believers in that too and, by installing his scheme methodically while demanding attention to detail, Kubiak creates an environment absent of mental lapses and is hyper focused. And after his players have assimilated to and practiced this philosophy, when things go awry, Kubiak isn't one to just let them slide. Instead of glossing over it, he's the coach that'll dig deep, find the root cause, and design a way to correct, avoid, and grow.

This is born of Kubiak's various stops on his coaching journey. He learned quickly making mistakes is natural and he formulates methods for a player or unit to right their minds and get to the next play. And, obviously, Kubiak won't be doing this alone. He's a collaborative type who trusts his assistants to shape the team, too. It's a let's push back and really think about this" type communication structure. One that trickles down from coach to player.

I just think the organization has surrounded myself with so much talent, with our scouts," Kubiak said. I can't say enough great things about Matt Capurro and Mike McCoy, guys that I work with every day, but it's been a process that's been solely focused on making the football team better and have the best practices we can have. I'm allowed to focus on football because our infrastructure is so good around me. So, I'm really fortunate for that."