The Chargers were entitled to test whether last week’s struggles were something they could exploit.

By halftime, Cousins had given them a reason to reconsider.

Ultimately, Cousins made Raiders history in the win. He became the first quarterback in 50 years to throw 3+ touchdown passes in Week 1 and Week 2 for the Silver and Black. The last player to accomplish that feat, none other than Ken Stabler.

Raiders survived their mistakes Sunday

But Las Vegas should not confuse that with permission to keep making them.

For a team still building its identity, finding a way to beat the Chargers despite missed opportunities and costly breakdowns counts for something. There is value in resilience, especially when the alternative is letting one mistake become an avalanche.

But winning doesn’t make the mistakes disappear. And the Raiders aren’t good enough yet to keep asking themselves to overcome this many.

A blown coverage allowed Justin Herbert to find Tre’ Harris for a 53-yard completion, setting up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden.

That is an expensive way to help an opposing offense.

At the other end, Tucker got tripped up on what could have been a big completion from Cousins deep in Chargers territory. The resulting interception left the Raiders empty-handed.

Bad breaks happen. The trouble comes when they are accompanied by too many preventable mistakes.

Dropped passes by Tucker, Ashton Jeanty and Jalen Nailor helped stall drives, wasting opportunities to sustain the offense and put more pressure on the Chargers.

That included Jeanty dropping a fourth-quarter throw on third down, which denied the Raiders a first down and valuable time off the clock.

Meanwhile, four consecutive running plays from the Chargers’ 5-yard line produced no touchdown, turning another scoring opportunity into an empty possession in the first half.

Those are the sequences that usually come attached to an uncomfortable conversation about the one that got away.

The Raiders earned the right to have that conversation after a victory instead.

That is progress. Good teams need to win games when their execution falls short of their intentions.

But the next step is making those escapes less necessary.

Against a different opponent, or with one fewer play breaking their way, the same mistakes could produce a much different result.

The Raiders showed Sunday they could survive an untidy performance.

If they want to go places, they have to clean that up.

Can we talk about Klint Kubiak?

The Raiders first-year head coach has the sideline demeanor of a man waiting for an oil change.

Even voice. Few words. An expression that rarely gives away whether his team just scored a touchdown or misplaced the car keys.

But don’t confuse a quiet personality with a cautious football coach.

The Raiders’ coach made that distinction clear Sunday against the Chargers, repeatedly showing a willingness to trust his offense when the safer choice was available.

Start with 35 seconds remaining in the first half, the score tied 7-7 and the Raiders backed up at their own 16-yard line.

That situation practically comes with instructions: Run the ball, drain the clock, get to the locker room.

Kubiak apparently misplaced his copy.

Two consecutive passes, including Kirk Cousins’ 42-yard connection with Tre Tucker, positioned Matt Gay for a 59-yard field goal and a 10-7 halftime lead.

Those weren’t merely three points. They were a declaration that the Raiders intended to use every second available to them.

Kubiak doubled down in the third quarter.

Trailing 14-10, he went for fourth-and-1 from his own 35-yard line. The Raiders converted, rewarding a decision that put considerable faith in an offense still finding its footing.

Then came the creativity.

Cousins threw to Ashton Jeanty, got the ball back and found Dareke Young on a double-pass play that gained 25 yards to the Chargers’ 13. That helped set up Cousins’ touchdown throw to Cody White and a 17-14 lead.

There is substance behind that stoicism.

Kubiak’s players don’t need him to win a shouting contest. They need him to recognize opportunities, give them answers and trust them enough to make meaningful plays.

Sunday, his decisions communicated all three.

For a franchise trying to develop confidence, that willingness matters.

Kubiak might never look like the boldest man in the stadium.

He coaches differently.