Kirk Cousins’ response to questions about his arm strength comes with a request: Consider everything that happens before the ball leaves his hand.

The play call. The coverage. The progression. The responsibility to pass up a tempting throw when the defense has something else in mind.

A short completion, the Raiders quarterback argues, does not automatically represent a physical limitation.

Sometimes, it means he did his job.

“Not to be a broken record, but I do think it kind of goes back to just executing what’s called,” Cousins said. “And if it’s intermediate passes, if it’s quick game, if it’s bootlegs, if it’s screens, you just execute what comes in the headset.”

Fair enough.

But through two games, the 38-year-old has provided evidence for both sides of a discussion that figures to follow him until he consistently makes it unnecessary.

Against Miami, Cousins completed just one of seven passes traveling more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, with two interceptions. Against the Chargers, he completed 8 of 12 for 181 yards on those throws.

That is a significant difference, and a reminder that the first Sunday of a season rarely delivers the final verdict.

Cousins finished the Raiders’ 26-14 win over the Chargers with 253 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping the Silver and Black improve to 2-0. His afternoon included a 40-yard touchdown to Tre Tucker and a 42-yard connection with the speedy receiver that helped create a field-goal opportunity before halftime.

Those throws matter. An offense built around efficiency still needs the ability to punish a defense for crowding the shorter portions of the field.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak considers that a necessity.

“If you don’t push the ball down the field or make explosive plays, you won’t win games, usually,” Kubiak said. “Again, you call shots and if they’re there, you hit them and if they’re not, you check it down.”

The Chargers game supplied examples of what happens when Cousins delivers.

It also offered a reminder of what happens when he doesn’t.

At one point, Malik Benson broke open down the right sideline. Cousins underthrew him, letting a potential big gain slip away and providing another reason to keep the arm-strength question on the table.

The issue is consistency. Can Cousins deliver those throws often enough for Kubiak to trust every necessary part of his offense?

Sunday offered encouragement. It did not settle the matter.

And the possibilities could soon expand.

Brock Bowers is trending in the right direction to make his 2026 debut. His ability to stretch the field and command attention should create more explosive opportunities for himself and Tucker, forcing defenses to account for threats attacking different areas.

Extra attention devoted to Bowers could leave Tucker with more room to run. Safeties protecting against Tucker’s speed could open space for Bowers underneath and up the seams.

For Cousins, that could make life considerably easier.

It could also sharpen the scrutiny. If Bowers’ return creates more openings and Cousins leaves those plays on the field, the questions will only grow louder.

Kubiak said generating downfield opportunities is “something you’re always trying to do every weekend. Sometimes it’s there and sometimes it’s not.”

That distinction is central to Cousins’ response.

“You got to be disciplined, too, that a shot called is not always a shot taken,” he said.

Kubiak can dial up an aggressive play. The defense can erase its primary purpose. At that point, the quarterback has to decide whether to take the available completion or force the original idea.

“Sometimes it can be hard for someone on the outside to discern, ‘Hey, are they trying to take the shot? Is it just not there? Is the defense taking it away? Are they not looking for it?’” Cousins said.

His explanation provides context for the shorter throws. It cannot excuse an inaccurate one when a receiver gets free.

For Cousins, reviewing the film also means examining the decision independently of the result. A successful play does not necessarily validate the choice, just as an incompletion does not automatically invalidate it.

“What’s too aggressive? What is the right amount of aggression? What’s intelligent aggression?” Cousins said.

That evaluation included the long throw to Tucker before halftime against the Chargers, a gamble Cousins questioned even after it paid off.

“I felt like maybe it wasn’t the right decision,” Cousins said after the game.

The completion didn’t necessarily make it a sound decision. Just as an incompletion – or even an interception – doesn’t automatically make a throw the wrong choice. Some chances, he believes, are worth taking again, regardless of how they turned out.

“I think it’s a fine line, and I never want to let the outcome dictate the process,” he said.

That is a useful standard for assessing his first two games, too.

The Miami performance raised legitimate questions. The Chargers’ performance supplied meaningful answers. Neither should be stretched into a conclusion that two weeks cannot support.

The Raiders need Cousins to recognize when the deep throw is available, get the ball there accurately and keep the offense moving when it is not.

Bowers’ return should give him more options. The responsibility to capitalize will remain the same.

Cousins understands the assignment.

“It’s all about moving the football and scoring points.”

The Raiders will gladly take both. And every time the defense leaves a receiver open downfield, Cousins will have another chance to answer the question with his arm.