Geno Smith, Raiders' Offense Focused Something Other Than Top Pick

The Las Vegas Raiders may have lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday, but there is still reason for optimism.

Watch Smith discuss below.

Las Vegas' offense played arguably the best game it had all season against the Houston Texans on Sunday. It was a shocking performance for an offense that ranked as one of the worst offensive units in the league entering Week 16. On Tuesday, Smith shared his thoughts on the Raiders' improvement.

"I think we obviously executed better than we did in previous games. I think it really started with practice. I think we started to practice better. I think guys are starting to understand what it takes, and just, it's not easy,” Smith said.

“Really, hats off to Coach [Greg] Olson, because it's not easy stepping into that role and then calling plays and using someone else's terminology, but I think he's done an outstanding job, and I think the players are picking up on it. And obviously, we've played pretty much better than we played in the past.

The Raiders have lost 13 of their last 14 games. They will face the New York Giants on Sunday, with the loser likely securing the top pick in the NFL Draft. There is reportedly a significant drop-off in talent between the first two picks in the draft, compared to other drafts.

With the Raiders' roster in need of significant changes, the No. 1 overall pick would provide the Raiders with an intriguing offseason, as they could draft their quarterback of the future, or they could trade the top pick for a potential fortune and build their roster that way.

The only problem is, the Giants are in the running for the No. 1 pick as well and are a very beatable team. Las Vegas could beat the Giants and hurt themselves in the long run. Still, Smith says he and his teammates are going for the win on Sunday.

"Yeah, we play to win. We deserve to go out there and have a chance to win. And so, we play to go out there and win. A lot of guys work hard, extremely hard. And unfortunately, the season is going the way that it's going, but we put ourselves in this position, and we've got to finish the season out the right way. And so, that's what we're focused on inside the locker room," Smith said.

"I really just think, again, man, we're just playing better. We're executing better, and I think it's, like I said, starting with us just practicing better. I think we've done a great job throughout the year of obviously trying to work through a bunch of different things, but overall, just the consistency with the line up front with having [Alex] Cappa in there, who's been doing a great job,” Smith said.

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