Progress is name of the game when it comes to the Raiders

A month into the regular season, and the Las Vegas Raiders can at least say that they are ahead of schedule.

A 3-1 record to start the year has the Raiders smashing expectations. Kirk Cousins has been the steady veteran presence at quarterback early on, while the defense has developed an identity as a unit unafraid to make plays on the ball. These have been driving forces for the Raiders so far, and a playoff berth no longer feels out of reach.

However, losing can provide some teachable moments and, in the event of the Raiders' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, even a team that exceeding expectations is far from a finished product.

One of the major aspects of where the Raiders need work is developing a presence on the ground. Despite Klint Kubiak priding himself on establishing the run, the Raiders come into the Week Five slate of games last in the NFL with 3.1 yards per carry. The lack of consistency in the run game has served as the fly in the ointment for the Raiders offense, which still ranks eighth with 28.8 points per game and in the top half of the league with 343 yards per game.

Should the Raiders unlock the running game, the offensive execution will be able to closer reflect the ceiling of the talent it has at its disposal.

"I think we just have to pay attention to our details, starting with ourselves," said Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko on how to fix the run game.

"What we're asking of the players, what we are attacking each game plan and presenting a great plan to the players allowing them to be detailed so they can go out and play fast and attack it. That's what we look forward to doing."

Despite the issues, where the Raiders have succeeded is keeping Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington involved offensively, even when the results on the ground are not quite the best.

Jeanty has received some attention in the passing game, currently ranking second on the team with 19 receptions (tight end Michael Mayer leads with 20) and tied for the team lead with two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Washington has averaged five yards per carry so far, giving the Raiders the confidence needed to continue feeding the fourth-round rookie the ball and keep Jeanty fresh.

"[Mike's] a great player," said Jeanty about his rookie teammate. "He runs with a great mentality, so having him come in and the defense can't take a break, but I can take a break and catch my breath and come back in with fresh legs."

On defense, the Raiders still lead the league with nine takeaways and are still tied for fifth with 12 sacks, but the Chiefs also provided some film to learn from.

The Chiefs were able to generate explosive plays against the Raiders and, while part of that does come simply due to the level of talent in Kansas City's offense, first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard still has some moments he can look into to continue tightening up defensively. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also able to get some time to work against the young defensive backs on the Raiders such as Hezekiah Masses and Treydan Stukes, so converting pressure into sacks and disrupting offensive rhythm is also something the Raiders can key in on.

"I'm happy with the progression in the process that we're chasing and chipping away at every day throughout the week and focusing on getting better and fixing problems and communication," said Leonard.

"I think we've consistently got better and, through each game, there are things that we have to fix and, as long as we're honest about those things, it's been good."

The Raiders have done everything in their power to push themselves into respectability. It is now a matter of honing everything else so they can continue their success into December and beyond.