Saints praise Raiders QB Kirk Cousins as ‘a winner’ ahead of Week 3 clash

The Las Vegas Raiders will travel to New Orleans for a Week 3 matchup, aiming to extend their 2‑0 start—their best opening since 2021—driven by the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins and an early‑season defensive surge. Saints veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan has long admired what Cousins brings to a squad and said he has never understood why some franchises are quick to move on from the experienced passer. “Kirk Cousins has been a victor anytime he’s been at the helm,” Jordan said. “For the franchises that effort to get escaped of Kirk Cousins, I’ve never understood that erstwhile you don’t person thing amended than Kirk Cousins.” “He’s going to dissect the defense. He tin work the defense. He tin marque the plays, and (teams) are not giving him credit,” Jordan added. Second‑year Saints running back Tyler Shough also voiced respect for Cousins, noting he grew up watching the quarterback and faced him during his rookie season. “Obviously, (Cousins) got america a mates times past year, and he’s inactive playing astatine a truly precocious level,” Shough said. “We’ve got to beryllium capable to beryllium dialed. This is simply a truly bully shot team. They’re playing astatine a precocious level close present and particularly him, he’s clicking, and he’s seen it all.” While Cousins commands much of New Orleans’ attention entering the game, Saints head coach Kellen Moore emphasized that the Raiders’ success extends to their coaching staff, including first‑year leader Klint Kubiak. Moore recalled his admiration for Kubiak’s work, tracing it back to their time together with the Minnesota Vikings, where Kubiak also had the chance to work with Cousins early in his coaching career. “I’ve ever loved what Klint’s done,” Moore said. “Going backmost to adjacent erstwhile he was astatine Minnesota, to maine I thought helium did a really, truly bully occupation there. He had Kirk determination at that clip and I thought they were rolling.” “I deliberation he’s ever done a truly bully occupation from a tally crippled and an enactment crippled position and giving the backmost a accidental to beryllium successful. So again, I thought he’s done a large occupation everywhere,” Moore continued. Moore and Kubiak share a distinctive bond as the past two offensive coordinators to win Super Bowls—Moore with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 and Kubiak with the Seattle Seahawks in the most recent season. Because of that parallel, Moore said he can relate to the challenges Kubiak faced this offseason while transitioning to a head‑coach role in a new organization. “I deliberation there’s ever timing to everything,” Moore said. “It’s a unsocial happening erstwhile you person an accidental to play each the mode done the Super Bowl and past you benignant of consciousness similar close aft that, there’s a batch of enactment to bash — hiring a staff, escaped bureau comes quickly, draught comes rapidly — and truthful I tin surely subordinate to however engaged the offseason was.” Despite Cousins’ impact, Moore noted the Saints’ preparation is not limited to one side of the ball, pointing out that Las Vegas has performed well in all three phases through the first two games, especially in creating big plays. “I deliberation they’re playing accelerated and physically,” Moore said. “They’re capable to make immoderate explosive plays connected offense. Their defence was capable to make immoderate turnovers, immoderate sacks, and big-time antagonistic plays. They’re conscionable making interaction plays passim the game.” Moore singled out Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean, whom he knows well from their time together on the Eagles’ coaching staff before Dean signed with Las Vegas this offseason. “Nakobe is arsenic astute of a linebacker arsenic you’re going to conscionable successful this full league,” Moore said. “He’s a truly carnal player. He’s seen everything playing astatine Georgia and playing successful Philadelphia implicit those years, and I deliberation helium does a truly bully occupation benignant of being the greenish dot successful the mediate of each that, getting everyone connected the aforesaid page.”