# Why 1-0 Would Mean More This Time

> The Raiders started 1-0 last year too, but beating Miami at home on Sunday would say something the Patriots win never did.
- Title: Why 1-0 Would Mean More This Time · Las Vegas Raiders On SI
- Summary: The Raiders started 1-0 last year too, but beating Miami at home on Sunday would say something the Patriots win never did. A Week 1 win only matters if it…
- Keywords: nfl, las vegas raiders, week 1, miami dolphins, rebuild, sports, 1-0, Mean, More, Time, Las Vegas Raiders On SI
- Source: Las Vegas Raiders On SI — https://si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi/las-vegas-why-week-1-win-would-feel-different
- Published: 2026-09-12T15:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: nfl, las vegas raiders, week 1, miami dolphins, rebuild, sports
## Home opener, finally
The Raiders host Miami on Sunday, their first season opener at home since 2021. Raider Nation gets the first look at this team, not a road broadcast.

> The Raiders are opening the season at home for the first time since 2021
## They were 1-0 last year
Las Vegas beat New England in Week 1 of last season. Nobody remembers it, because the record said very little about where the team was headed.

> That wouldn't have been much of a statistic.
## Same record, different meaning
A win over the Dolphins would land completely differently than that Patriots game did, even though New England went on to reach the Super Bowl.
## The Carroll hire was a fallback
In January 2025 the Raiders missed on their top coaching targets and circled back to a 73-year-old who had been off the sidelines for a year.

> they swung and missed on some of their top options
## Too many spins of the carousel
Carroll was the answer to Antonio Pierce not working out as the full-time head coach. The franchise wanted adults in the room more than it wanted a long-term plan.

> The coaching carousel spun too many times for a team desperate for stability.
## Scraping by is not progress
Narrowly beating a Patriots team still hunting for its own identity never felt like the Raiders had actually turned a corner.
## A young core changes it
Now there is a promising first-year head coach, the quarterback of the future waiting his turn, and a group of young defenders to grow around.

> the future of their quarterback position waiting in the wings
## The scoreline matters
27-20 would be forgettable. Something like 30-10, with the home crowd behind them, against a Dolphins roster thin on both sides, is the version that sells belief.

> if it ends somewhere around 30-10, the organization and Raider Nation alike will feel good
## Not built to win 2026
Nobody expects many wins this year. That is exactly why handling a team in the same rebuilding spot would suggest the track is the right one.

> This Raiders team is building for the future
## Key takeaway

A Week 1 win only matters if it looks like the start of something. Convincing beats close when you are building for the future.