Raiders visit Saints in battle of young offensive coaches

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Klint Kubiak and Kellen Moore are the last two offensive coordinators to win Super Bowls.

Both parlayed their success into head coaching jobs, and they will be looking across the sideline at each other in the Superdome on Sunday, when Kubiak's Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) visit Moore's New Orleans Saints (1-1).

The scene will be familiar to Kubiak, who was the Saints' offensive coordinator in 2024. That was his only season in New Orleans because Dennis Allen, the coach who brought in Kubiak, was fired that season, setting the stage for Moore to get his first head coaching job after he'd won a Super Bowl - in the Superdome - with Philadelphia.

Kubiak moved on to Seattle last season and now finds himself going head to head with a coach who, like him, is still in his 30s - Kubiak is 39, Moore 38 - and part of new generation of NFL head coaches.

“I’ve always loved what Klint’s done," Moore said, referring to the way Kubiak schemes up offenses and calls plays. "He’s always done a really good job from a run game and action game perspective and giving the quarterback a chance to be successful.”

The resurgence of new Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has not surprised Moore, who noted that Kubiak had Minnesota's offense “rolling” when he was the Vikings' coordinator, and Cousins was their QB, in 2021.

Moore smiled while noting that he and Cousins are the same age, and got to know each other when they were assigned to the same Senior Bowl squad coming out of college.

“Kirk is a really special person, special player,” Moore said. “He’s had a phenomenal career and it’s really cool to see what he’s doing ... to transition to Vegas, 2-0, playing good football, leading this group.”

Cousins' confidence in Kubiak is apparent in the way he describes their professional relationship. Cousins said he'll give Kubiak feedback about what he sees on the field but won't lobby for particular play calls.

“The phrase I’ll often say is: ‘Coach, you call it, and I ball it,’” Cousins explained. "Coaches handle scheme, and I think, players - it’s our job to then go execute it.”

Moore, a former quarterback at Boise State and in the NFL, said Cousin's recent form has in no way made him wonder if he, too, could still get back on the field. “I can maybe throw it about 30, 40 yards," Moore said. "I can play some arena ball, maybe.”

The Saints went 6-11 in Moore's maiden season in 2025 but finished by winning five of their last nine - and have looked increasingly competitive this season. First came an overtime loss at Detroit, followed by a comeback victory at Baltimore. In the process, second-year QB Tyler Shough has put up some of the best passing numbers in the NFL.

Those developments have the fan base in New Orleans encouraged coming into the Saints' home opener nearly 20 years to the day of the Superdome's reopening after Hurricane Katrina.

“We’ve won one game, and there’s a lot of games to go," Moore cautioned when asked about the optimism surrounding his team.

Moore emphasized that he has “a ton of respect” for the way the Raiders have been playing, and he felt they beat Miami and the Los Angeles Chargers “pretty decisively.”

Kubiak, meanwhile, called the Saints “a hot team.”

“They’re playing really good football, playing in their place - very loud environment,” Kubiak said. "It will be a great challenge for our team.”

Las Vegas (2-0) at New Orleans (1-1).

When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS.

Latest odds: Saints by 3.

Against the spread: Raiders 2-0; Saints 2-0.

Last week: Raiders beat the Chargers 26-14 on the road; Saints won 24-17 at Baltimore.

Last meeting: Raiders won 25-10 on Dec. 29, 2024, in New Orleans.

Series record: Raiders lead 8-7-1.

Raiders defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye vs. Saints right tackle Taliese Fuaga and fill-in left tackle Asim Richards. Crosby usually is matched up against right tackles, but the Raiders moved him and could have him test Richards situationally. Richards is in his fourth NFL season and performed well during the Saints' comeback victory last weekend - a game during which starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. left with a high ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve.

- Las Vegas’ Kirk Cousins is the third quarterback 38 and older to throw at least three touchdown passes in each of the first two games of a season. The others were Tom Brady in 2015 and 2021 and Peyton Manning in 2014. Brady is a Raiders minority owner.

- Raiders rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses was forced into action when Darien Porter injured his foot in the season opener against Miami. Masses has allowed just two receptions for 16 yards on the seven passes targeted at him so far this season, intercepting two Chargers passes. He and Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams are the only cornerbacks with a 0.0 opposing passer rating on at least five targets.

- A victory would make Las Vegas 3-0 for the first time since the 2021 season. That’s also the last time the Raiders made the playoffs.

- The Raiders’ defense has an opposing passer rating of 63.2, behind only Seattle’s 59.0.

- Saints QB Tyler Shough leads the NFL with 62 completions and 662 yards passing through the first two weeks of this season. The 2025 second-round pick has won six of his first 11 NFL starts, dating back to last season.

- Saints WR Chris Olave, an 11th overall draft pick out of Ohio State in 2022, ranks second in the NFL with 18 catches and 268 yards receiving.

- The Saints have struggled to run the ball despite the offseason signing of Travis Etienne and the return last week of Alvin Kamara from injury. They enter Week 3 ranked 28th in rushing, averaging 78 yards per game.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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