Breaking Down the Raiders’ Upset Case for Week 15

The Las Vegas Raiders have dropped seven games in a row. They were expected to make some strides this year after an offseason of highly aggressive win-now moves. And yet, they're on pace to finish with a worse record in the 2025 NFL season than they did in 2024. It's not too late for this team to show some progress, though.

The Raiders are one of just nine organizations that have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this year. It would behoove them to just lose out in hopes of getting the best draft position they can to maximize their chances of landing some transformative talent this April.

However, Las Vegas has been rebuilding for a while now. This franchise and its fans need to see some glimmer of hope. The Raiders have a great chance to gain some favor in Week 15.

Philadelphia Eagles, NFL, Kenny Pickett, New York Giants — Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) walks off the field at halftime against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Can the Raiders pull it off?

In Week 15, the Las Vegas Raiders face a daunting matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Philadelphia Eagles have had their ups and downs before, including last season before their title run, but this current trajectory they're on doesn't just feel like a slump. Philly has lost its last three games, each of which was very gettable.

The Eagles don't look anything like the team that won Super Bowl LIX. Their passing attack is anemic, the ground game is disappointingly inconsistent, the offensive line play has fallen off a cliff, the defense is more vulnerable than last year's, and the drama within the locker room seems more prevalent than ever.

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Still, Philadelphia has more than enough talent to overcome its issues in a matchup with Las Vegas and backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. All five editors on NFL.com's panel picked the Eagles to take this one comfortably, by an average margin of 13.4 points. Ali Bhanpuri predicted an eighth straight loss for the Raiders, 27-14:

Kenny Pickett beating Jalen Hurts in Philly right now would create a dimension imploding moment that splits the city of Philadelphia at its foundation like Vecna did Hawkins https://t.co/Jh4EdedH0l
— Aidan Powers (@aidan_34_powers) December 10, 2025

"Hard to ask for a better get-right opportunity in 2025 than the Raiders at home. And the Eagles need to get right. Since the Week 9 bye, Nick Sirianni's squad has struggled to show up on the scoreboard, ranking in the bottom-half of the league in several offensive metrics, including 29th in points per game (16.2). That's a staggering double-digit drop-off from the 26.0 ppg they averaged before the break."

"Fortunately for Philly, the Raiders' offense has somehow been even more inept during that span (league-worst 12.8 ppg). And that's kind of how this contest breaks down, at least on the offensive side; the Eagles' bad looks OK, relatively speaking. Go through the numerous matchup comparisons on NFL Pro, and it's seemingly all four- and five-star advantages for Philadelphia. If a date with a 2-11 squad and its QB2 at the Linc can't cure what ails this club… will anything?"

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

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