Kirk Cousins — Week 2: Three Touchdowns, Two on Third Down
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 21
Cousins completed 19 of 29 throws for 253 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and took two sacks. He hit Tre Tucker for a 40-yard touchdown and found Cody White for 13 yards on third and ten and 11 yards on third and five, the first of those for the lead with 3:59 left in the third quarter, in a 26–14 win over the Chargers.
When Kirk Cousins's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
The full episode, in writing
14 to 10, Chargers, three 59 left in the third quarter, third and 10 at the Los Angeles 13. Kirk Cousins threw short right to Cody White for 13 yards and the touchdown, and the Raiders led for good. +3.1 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and +11.5 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it, the largest gain on any Raiders play of the day. The drive was 11 plays from the Las Vegas 26, with a fourth-and-one direct snap to Connor Heyward and a 27-yard completion to Dareke Young along the way. With three-oh-three left in the game, up three, third and five at the 11, three plays after Omarion Hampton's fumble, he went to White again, short left, 11 yards, 24 to 14. Those were the only two balls thrown to White all afternoon.
The line: 19 of 29, 253 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, two sacks, +6.0 expected points on 31 pass plays. Nine of 13 for a hundred 58 before halftime, 10 of 16 for 95 after. Four throws carry the deep label and both completions went to Tre Tucker: the 40-yard touchdown out of the no-huddle with 11 57 left in the second quarter, and 42 yards from his own 16 with 31 seconds left in the half, which became a 59-yard field goal. The third was the interception — second and five at the Chargers 32 with nine-oh-five left in the first quarter, deep left for Tucker, Cam Hart at the 15, −4.8 expected points and −12.7 points of win probability. The fourth fell incomplete to Malik Benson on third and eight. On third down he had 10 pass plays: nine throws, five completions, four conversions, two of them the White touchdowns, and one sack. The Raiders converted four of 13 third downs, and all four were his completions. One scramble for four yards, and three kneel-downs at the end.
The ball went seven times each to Tucker and Ashton Jeanty, four to Michael Mayer, three to Jalen Nailor, two each to Jack Bech and White, and once each to Ian Thomas, Young, Mike Washington and Benson, with Brock Bowers inactive again, per ProFootballTalk at NBC Sports. 31 pass plays against 25 designed runs, and the Raiders ran for 60 yards on 26 rush plays, his scramble included.
Back in June the preview made no call on Cousins: quarterback 35 at pick two 39, an aging pocket passer on a one-year bridge deal in front of a first-overall rookie, a price the preview said the market had right. Week 1 was three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 14-point win. Sunday was three more touchdowns, one more interception, and a 12-point win on the road. All three interceptions this season have come on throws labeled deep. Every Raiders pass play in both games has been his, and Fernando Mendoza's name is not in this play-by-play. Two games do not change what the contract is; they do say the job is not in question this week. Las Vegas is at the Saints on Sunday the 20-seventh.
_Data via nflverse._
When Kirk Cousins's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
Keep going