1 Drive Explains Raiders' Offensive Struggles

The Las Vegas Raiders' offense has several weaknesses.

Oct 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) makes a catch against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have no shortage of things to work on moving forward, as their 1-4 start is proof of how far Las Vegas has to go. The Raiders' Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was another forgettable performance that Pete Carroll and company must learn from.

Failing to Finish

At 1-4 on the season, the Raiders must turn things around as quickly as possible to avoid a lost season. Las Vegas' dismal start has featured a few instances of the Raiders beating themselves. One prime example of this was the Raiders' first offensive drive against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Raiders moved the ball at will on their first offensive possession. Las Vegas moved the ball at will, driving 80 yards while taking nearly 10 minutes off the game clock. Still, the Raiders only scored a field goal, setting the tone of a what turned out to be a dreadful performance.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) brings down Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) as he misses a pass Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Raiders 40-6. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following the Raiders' loss to the Colts, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll analyzed the Raiders' most significant offensive drive of the game. Although any number of points make a drive successful, the Raiders' first drive was too productive not to score a touchdown on Sunday.

“Yeah, I think it was second-and-three and we got sacked. We got knocked out, and then we wind up third-and-12, or something like that. It was just unfortunate. I don't know about the play in particular, why we cut – we didn’t really cut a guy loose. We got covered up a little bit. He had to hold it, and then it worked against us unfortunately. That would have been, obviously, a great drive to consummate that,” Carroll said.

“It must have been seven or eight minutes, or even nine minutes or whatever it was. It was perfect, and then we get a big play and we get knocked out. So, three points was all it was, which at the time, you think, ‘Okay, we moved the football.’ We felt good about it, and it was a very good opening drive. But then you look at it – it took a long time to ever get another point.”

The Raiders have little margin for error moving forward. Carroll must lean on his many years of experience to help get him through a lackluster start with the Raiders.

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