What’s Wrong with the Raiders’ Offense

The Las Vegas Raiders made Chip Kelly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL for a reason. He's coming off a year where he led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a college championship, and the Raiders were hoping he could emulate some of that success in Las Vegas.

The Raiders used their top draft pick to select Ashton Jeanty, a generational prospect at running back, to pair with Kelly, whose offense runs through the ground. They had it all planned out, but what they didn't account for was their offensive line failing.

Power Rankings

Sep 15, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh shake hands after the game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Thomas Valentine is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he put out his power rankings of each NFL team ahead of week three. With the Raiders coming fresh off a devastating loss against a divisional rival, it's no surprise they dropped one spot and are ranked the 26th best team in the NFL.

"The Raiders struggled against a strong Chargers defense in Week 2, losing 20-9 and falling to 1-1. The offense, which currently ranks 29th in EPA per play, will see better days. There’s too much talent on that side of the ball, combined with Chip Kelly’s playcalling, for it to fail. Right?", said Valentine.

Sep 15, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) evades a tackle from Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

There are plenty of reasons why the Raiders' offense is struggling as it is. I already mentioned the offensive line and how their putrid performance affects every aspect of this offense moving forward. Geno Smith isn't without blame; his penchant for turnovers has to stop, and this team only goes as far as Smith allows it to.

Jeanty's done the most with the cards he was dealt, but at one point, he has to overcome his poor offensive line and have a statement drive or game where he shows his full potential. Unfortunately, he isn't given that much opportunity to do that.

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

Playing behind a subpar offensive line and under an offensive coordinator who isn't willing to give him more than 15 carries a game, I can't help but feel like the Raiders are misusing their offense on talent. There should never be a scenario with your top ten pick gets 11 carries while Smith attempts more than 40 passes.

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