As easy as it would be to say that flashbacks of his football life filled his head Sunday as he approached the New England goal line and broke its plane for his first career touchdown, it would also be wrong.

Dylan Laube's mind was clear.

"It didn't really hit me until the end of the game, really," Laube told me during an interview on the Raiders Podcast Network. "Really, ultimately, after the game when I was with my family and friends and stuff like that. At the end of the day, yeah, I mean it's a super cool experience. I mean, that's the dream right there.

"But it just stinks that we were in such a tough position."

Laube's first career score was the epitome of bittersweet, given that his 2-yard TD came with the Raiders trailing by 28 points and in an eventual 45-17 loss to the Patriots.

He also had career highs in offensive touches (7), rushes (4), catches (3) and snaps (23).

But, as the third-year running back/special teams ace said, it mattered little in the grand scheme of things because of what happened to the Raiders that day in New England.

Alas…

Laube, a sixth-round pick in 2024 out of FCS stalwart New Hampshire, had obviously shown enough to Raiders coach Klint Kubiak that he deserved a larger role in the offense.

Even with Ashton Jeanty, a No. 6 overall draft pick, and rookie Mike Washington, selected in the fourth round this spring after Kubiak "stood on the table" for him, both still in the room.

"I think, overall, that you know Dylan has been a really good protection back for us, and that gets you into the game on third down and gets you in the game in passing situations," Kubiak said. "And he's been very reliable on special teams.

"Just overall, [he's a] very reliable player that's an ascending player."

As in, on the rise, right?

Right.

Laube has already impressed with his special teams work. Through five games, his 30.3 yards per kick return average leads all players in the NFL with at least 10 returns.

He already has nine returns of at least 20 yards, three of at least 40 yards and broke off a 53-yarder against the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Week 4.

The Raiders have not had a kickoff returned for a touchdown since Jacoby Ford went 101 yards to the house against the Browns in Oakland on Oct. 16, 2011.

"Stud," said Laube, who obviously has similar return goals.

So if his mind was blank approaching the goal line, what, exactly, happens when he hits the open field on a return, with only one man to beat?

"To be honest with you, you don't think about anything," Laube said, echoing his TD state of mind.

"It's just like, in that flow state … with the adrenaline rush to it. Just go, go, go. So, to be honest with you, I'm not really even thinking about anything."

Fair enough, but Laube's return game and success in it has made opposing special teams coordinators think of him in gameplanning.

"To be honest with you, I think I'm doing the easiest job on the field with that because the front nine, and 10 in the back, is doing everything else. I mean, just blocking on that play is so tough, and for them to open up the holes and allow me to hit it full speed is the easiest part.

"I mean, without them and the coaches, too, just scheming it up, man, it just sets us up for such great field positioning."

Which will be a non-negotiable against the Bills this weekend.

Buffalo is coming off a dramatic Monday night win at the Rams and boasting a record of 4-1, while the Raiders are riding a two-game losing streak and sitting at 3-2.

"They're a very big, physical team and I think, ultimately, we've just got to play fast and, once again, just be fundamentally sound," Laube said.

"Ultimately, this is a whole different [Raiders] team this year. And we've shown it every single week so far, and I think it's just, trust the process.

"It's such a long season, too. It's so hard to … go 17-0. If you're a great team, you win over 10 games, but that's still what, seven losses? So, you've got to trust the process and I think we're gonna have a really good bounce-back week this week."

Thoughts?