In Week 10, the Las Vegas Raiders reached a brand new offensive low in a season stuffed with them.
Towards the division-leading Denver Broncos, the Raiders had a chance to tug off an upset at Empower Discipline at Mile Excessive — a stadium identified for miracles. Nonetheless, they have been unable to capitalize on the protection’s greatest efficiency of the season.
Tight finish Brock Bowers had just one catch for 31 yards. Quarterback Geno Smith threw an interception for the twelfth time this season. And Las Vegas didn’t rush for not less than 100 yards for the fourth straight recreation.
The Raiders’ 10-7 loss marked the fourth time this season they scored fewer than 10 factors in a recreation — most within the NFL and tied for his or her most by way of 9 video games in franchise historical past (1981, 2006 and 2009), per ESPN Analysis.
Coming into its “Monday Evening Soccer” matchup in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys (8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN), Las Vegas has been held to fewer than 30 factors in 29 consecutive video games — the longest lively streak within the NFL and second-longest in franchise historical past (35-game streak from 1991-93).
“What’s my degree of concern? That we’re not scoring sufficient factors,” coach Pete Carroll mentioned. “That is about as apparent as you may get. … There are a whole lot of elements right here.”
In 2025, the offense wasn’t anticipated to be the crew’s Achilles’ heel. Beneath new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, first-round operating again Ashton Jeanty and Smith, a two-time Professional Bowl choice in three seasons as Seattle’s starter, the unit was meant to be stronger than final 12 months’s group.
That has not been the case.
A number of elements have contributed to Las Vegas’ offensive struggles. The Raiders have suffered accidents to key gamers, together with Bowers, beginning left sort out Kolton Miller (ankle) and most lately proper guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (ankle), who was positioned on injured reserve.
The Raiders have harm themselves on a number of events, from Smith’s turnovers to premature penalties which have made it onerous to maintain drives alive. These points may result in important modifications within the offseason.
“The extra you dwell on it, you are simply going to maintain digging your self in a fair greater gap,” tight finish Michael Mayer mentioned. “It sucks to be saying that. I really feel like I say that so much right here. … We have to dig ourselves out of this gap.”
PUT THE RAIDERS’ offensive numbers from 2024 and 2025 side-by-side, and the shortage of enchancment is alarming.
Final season, they ranked twenty ninth in factors (18.18 per recreation), twenty seventh in whole yards (303.2), thirty second in speeding yards (79.8), thirty first in EPA (minus-94.20), and twenty seventh in pink zone effectivity (48.9%). These struggles led to the firing of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after 9 video games, with Scott Turner taking on in an interim function.
In 2025, Las Vegas is thirty first in factors, thirtieth in whole yards (272.7), twenty ninth in speeding yards (87.4), thirtieth in EPA (minus-52.64) and twenty eighth in pink zone effectivity (47.8%). If the Raiders’ present averages in factors and whole yards maintain, it could mark their lowest over a full season since 2009 (12.3 factors and 266.1 whole yards).
The Raiders’ pink zone charge, speeding yards and whole yards are the bottom for Kelly in 5 seasons as an NFL head coach or coordinator.
“We’re positively not the place we wish to be,” mentioned third-year broad receiver Tre Tucker. “I am slightly shocked.”
Carroll hoped progress would’ve been made following their greatest offensive efficiency of the season, a 30-29 additional time loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9.
Smith threw 4 landing passes, together with three to Bowers (who had 12 catches for 127 yards in his first recreation again since Sept. 28). However in opposition to Denver, the offense seemed like an incompetent group. The Raiders had 188 whole yards, together with 74 on the bottom.
“We have been gaga over the efficiency that we had in Brock’s return. And I figured we have been pedal to the steel,” Carroll mentioned. “Sadly, we got here again this previous week [against] Denver, probably the greatest groups within the NFL on protection, and we could not get occurring them. Was it Denver? Was it us? Is it Dallas? Is it us? We’ll discover out as we hold going.”
To start out the 2025 season, the celebs seemed aligned for Las Vegas to be higher offensively. The Raiders traded for Smith after he established himself as one of many league’s most correct passers. In addition they drafted Jeanty with the No. 6 decide, creating optimism that prime skill-position gamers, together with Kelly calling the pictures, would result in higher outcomes. Common supervisor John Spytek considered Kelly, after successful a nationwide title with Ohio State, as a “nice offensive thoughts” who will get probably the most out of his quarterbacks.
When Kelly coached Oregon from 2009-2012, the Geese have been first within the nation in factors per recreation (44.72) and eleventh in offensive performs per recreation (75.1). In Kelly’s three seasons (2013-2015) because the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach, his groups ranked third in factors (26.9).
His transition from Oregon to Philadelphia went easily. In his first season, the Eagles went 10-6 and averaged 27.6 factors per recreation, in comparison with 17.5 the earlier season. However he did not have the identical success throughout his lone season as the pinnacle coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. The crew completed 2-14 and averaged 19.2 factors.
As Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, Kelly led an environment friendly group regardless of slowing down the tempo. Following six seasons as the pinnacle coach at UCLA (2018-2023), he led the Buckeyes to a No. 14 rating in factors (35.69). Ohio State was a hundred and twentieth in performs per recreation (61.8) and 18th in time of possession per play (29.4 seconds).
“I imply, he is type of at all times been on the forefront of offense,” Spytek mentioned of Kelly, who reportedly has a mean annual wage of $6 million. “I believe we simply see an awesome offensive thoughts that he will get his quarterbacks to play nicely. I believe you utilize Will Howard for example final 12 months; he had a few robust moments, however Chip [Kelly] and Will discovered a approach to play their greatest soccer when it mattered most. You have to tip your cap to individuals that may try this.”
However Kelly’s return to the NFL hasn’t been form to him and has drawn comparisons to his 2016 season with the 49ers, when he didn’t spark the offense.
THE RAIDERS FLASHED the potential of a practical unit in Week 1’s 20-13 win over the New England Patriots. Smith accomplished 24 of 34 passes (70.6%) for 362 yards with one landing and one interception. The Raiders had 5 totally different gamers catch passes for 20-plus yards.
The Raiders took a couple of steps again once they confronted the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 and have been on a downward spiral since. Smith threw three interceptions and the offense was held to 218 whole yards in a 20-9 loss.
“After we performed the Chargers, they knew we have been an explosive offense,” Tucker mentioned. “They type of stored all the pieces in entrance of us. I believe lots of people have been following that mannequin.”
Because the Week 1 win, Smith has thrown for 1,482 yards, 10 touchdowns and a league-high 11 interceptions. He has had a tough time in opposition to zone protection, throwing 10 picks on 123 makes an attempt, in comparison with one decide on 66 makes an attempt in opposition to man protection.
The Raiders have didn’t recreate the explosive performs they made within the opener. Currently, they’ve been conservative and relied extra on the quick passing recreation to maintain the ball out of hurt’s manner.
Smith averaged 9.2 air yards per try from Week 1 to three and had six completions on 14 makes an attempt for 20-plus air yards. Since then, he has totaled 4.9 air yards per try and accomplished 2 of 9 passes for 20-plus air yards. His air yards per try over the primary three weeks would rank second within the league for the season; his common since then would rank final by a big margin.
“There’s slightly extra shell protection, guys enjoying on prime of deep routes and never letting us run behind them,” broad receiver coach Chris Beatty mentioned. “On the finish of the day, these coaches are good now, so they are not gonna allow you to simply run by way of the protection. They’ll make some changes, and so they have.”
Undoubtedly, Smith will get the majority of the blame. He has had accuracy points and has often held on to the ball for too lengthy. However penalties and move safety have prevented Las Vegas from preserving drives alive.
Towards Denver, the Raiders recorded 10 first downs and transformed 4-of-15 third-down makes an attempt. Smith was sacked 4 occasions on third down. And penalties by rookies Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech negated a pair of huge performs, together with a 31-yard landing catch by Tucker.
“You may’t have missed assignments, you may’t have penalties, you may’t have penalties negating huge performs [and] turnovers,” Smith mentioned. “These are the issues that harm groups. When the Raiders cease beating the Raiders, we’ll go on the market, and we are able to beat anyone on this league, however we have now to cease being ourselves first. It looks as if that is been a recurring factor each single week.”
WHEN JEANTY ARRIVED in Las Vegas, Carroll anticipated him to have a serious function on offense, much like how he utilized former operating again Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. He had hoped an efficient floor recreation would enable them to regulate the clock and hold their protection off the sector as a lot as doable.
Jeanty has had his moments. He has 143 carries for 547 yards and 4 touchdowns. Nonetheless, he’s averaging 3.8 yards per rush, has just one 100-yard recreation and has been held to fewer than 50 yards in 4 video games.
Carroll wished to make use of a number of operating backs in a rotation. However that hasn’t come into fruition. Las Vegas opened 2025 with Zamir White because the No. 2 however has struggled with solely 10 carries for 25 yards this season. Finally, veteran Raheem Mostert — who was inactive for the primary three weeks — changed White.
Mostert had 11 carries for 84 yards, together with a 62-yard efficiency within the loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4. He hasn’t offered a lot assist lately, totaling six carries for no yards prior to now 4 video games. Mostert has been primarily used as a blocker and check-down goal in third-down conditions.
The Raiders’ inconsistent run recreation has gone hand-in-hand with their struggles within the offensive line. Jeanty has not often had any open area to work with. He is had a league-high 41 carries that resulted in no achieve or a loss. It is probably the most by any Raiders operating again by way of the crew’s first 9 because the begin of 2000.
The Raiders have trailed in eight video games, forcing them to desert the run and depend on Smith’s arm to win. Las Vegas has trailed in 45% of the sport clock this season, the Tenth-highest mark within the NFL.
“You wish to be balanced. If you happen to’re balanced, that is a great factor,” Kelly mentioned. “If you happen to’re operating the ball extra, it most likely means you are successful, as a result of meaning you are in a four-minute offense, and you are going to run the ball extra in a four-minute offense than you do in a two-minute offense.”
“So, in the event you’re forward on the finish of the sport, you are going to get extra rushes. If you happen to’re behind on the finish of the sport, you are going to get extra throws.”
Nonetheless, Carroll has been demanding a stronger emphasis on operating the ball and enjoying below middle. Earlier within the season, Carroll critiqued the offense in that regard. Smith has lined up within the shotgun on 81.5% of his dropbacks, in comparison with 14.3% below middle.
“That is type of how [my teams have] gained through the years, and it does not should be as productive,” Carroll mentioned. “It simply must be actually strong, and you retain the ball away from the opposite guys.”
Regardless of the Raiders’ 2-7 document, Carroll mentioned he does not plan to vary his strategy for the remainder of the season. As Las Vegas embarks on the second half of the season, starting with the Cowboys, Kelly hopes they will “keep in rhythm.”
Dallas gives a chance for the Raiders to do this. The Cowboys’ protection is twenty eighth in speeding yards (143 per recreation) and passing yards allowed (254.4). Nonetheless, Dallas improved its line of defense, buying Quinnen Williams on the commerce deadline.
“There [aren’t] many groups that [have] the luxurious of riches at defensive sort out with Osa [Odighizuwa], Kenny [Clark] and now Quinnen, so [Dallas] presents some issues,” Kelly mentioned. “And I believe, as a result of you have not seen them on tape and the way he will deploy them, there will be some changes that go on initially of that recreation.”
Irrespective of how the ultimate eight weeks play out, the Raiders can have inquiries to face when the season ends. Las Vegas has two offensive cornerstones in Jeanty and Bowers, however there’s loads of work that may must be executed, particularly at quarterback.
Smith solely has a lifeless cap hit of $18.5 million in 2026, so it is actually doable the Raiders transfer on from him. Whether or not or not Smith exhibits he can nonetheless be the starter past 2025, a succession plan ought to be in place. Las Vegas has a 7% probability of touchdown the No. 1 total decide within the 2026 NFL draft and a 54.1% probability of choosing throughout the prime 5, in accordance ESPN’s Soccer Energy Index.
Las Vegas’ inside offensive line may look a bit totally different. Left guard Dylan Parham will likely be an unrestricted free agent, and middle Jordan Meredith is a restricted free agent. Following the departure of broad receiver Jakobi Meyers, the Raiders want one other dependable move catcher.
Spytek hinted through the league conferences in April that it could take a couple of season to repair the Raiders. The crew’s try and fast-track the method by bringing in Smith and Kelly nonetheless did not stop them from having to face the inevitability of a protracted rebuilding course of.
“This isn’t what I anticipated to occur, and I did not really feel that we’d be this far behind firstly of the season,” mentioned Carroll.