Breaking Down Why the Raiders Are Stuck

The Las Vegas Raiders may have won two games this season, but they're one of the worst teams in the NFL. Even a team like the Tennessee Titans, which has only managed to win one game, can say they have it better than the Raiders right now.

Their recent loss to the Cleveland Browns highlighted how far away this team is from being competent in its current iteration. They fired Chip Kelly, which is a step in the right direction, but there are so many other moves that need to be done before this franchise is back to being respectable.

It's not a stretch of the imagination to say that they're the laughing stock of the NFL at the moment, perfectly encapsulated by Geno Smith giving the finger to a member of Raider Nation, as opposed to a Browns fan or other heckler.

The State of the Raiders

Jul 24, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly during training camp at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Zachary Pereles is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he broke down five things he liked and disliked about the results of Week 12 in the NFL. One of the things he didn't like was how much of a dumpster fire the Raiders are at the moment. He doesn't mince his words, and I won't either. The Raiders are genuinely one of the worst teams in the league; change needs to happen before this team can get any better.

"They hired a 74-year-old coach (Pete Carroll), traded for a soon-to-be-35-year-old quarterback (Geno Smith) and spent $6 million on an offensive coordinator they just fired (Chip Kelly). Carroll's son Brennan is the team's run game coordinator/offensive line coach", said Pereles.

Pete Carroll and Brennan Carroll have done irreparable damage to the 2025 Raiders, and they should be put under scrutiny for how terribly they've handled their talent all season. Before he was placed on the IR, Jackson Powers-Johnson was a promising prospect who was coming off an impressive rookie season where he consistently showed signs of greatness.

So what does the brilliant Carroll mind come up with? Benching Powers-Johnson and not giving him sufficient reps, instead, relying on players like Stone Forsythe and Alex Cappa to block for Smith. The results speak for themselves, as the Browns had ten sacks on Smith, and the offensive line has been an issue for them all season.

Coaching Malpractice

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's not just Powers-Johnson, either; the Raiders coaching staff continues to prioritize their veteran players over their younger players. They say it's to give them the best chance of winning games, but their 2 - 9 record says otherwise. Any other coaching team in the NFL would've given their rookies and second-year players more opportunities by now, but no, not the Raiders.

Carroll wants to stick to his guns and continue to brute force his way through the season. It's the definition of insanity to do the same thing and expect different results, and Carroll is acting like he needs a wellness check. Go figure, the oldest head coach in the NFL doesn't want to change things up.

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against Cleveland Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Raiders ball carriers are averaging 0.40 yards per carry before contact, on pace to be the lowest on record, and Smith just got sacked 10 times. The Raiders could use a significant upgrade -- and in some cases multiple significant upgrades -- at every spot on the roster that isn't tight end or running back".

It's going to take multiple seasons of good off-season additions and excellent draft selections for the Raiders to recover from this. John Spytek has done a good job of getting talent on the roster; they just need to find a head coach who can maximize that talent.

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on in the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Is Carroll willing to see that out? Is Tom Brady, who has become more involved in the football operations and helped his former teammate as general manager, the right guy to do that while he also handles his broadcasting duties? What even is Brady's role, really? Being directionless is even worse than being very bad. Both apply to Las Vegas".

This season is a dud for the Raiders, and the only light at the end of the tunnel is that if they continue losing, they sweeten their draft pick. Carroll is clearly not the head coach of the future, and more so than any player or unit, he deserves the majority of the blame for why the Raiders are stuck in football purgatory.

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