Amid the Raiders’ Struggles, One Positive Shines Through

The Las Vegas Raiders haven't been playing good offense or defense as of late. Despite that, what's a bright spot on their team?

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders have massively underperformed given their pre-season expectations. Their latest loss to the Kansas City Chiefs brings them to a new low, with their offense showing no direction and their defense helpless to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense.

It's clear that the Raiders will have to do a lot of soul-searching during their week 8 bye to get them back on track. A bright spot on this roster is hard to come by. Ashton Jeanty has loads of talent, but the Raiders are incapable of bringing it out consistently.

A Bright Spot

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) high fives head coach Pete Carroll prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

John Kosko is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article breaking down the top defensive performances in week 7. Despite the Raiders' defense allowing the Chiefs to put up 31 points on them, they had the most run stops in week 7.

"Despite a lopsided loss, the Raiders faced 37 run plays and recorded 13 stops, the most in the league. Thomas Booker IV led the unit with four, while Leki Fotu added three. One of Fotu’s stops went for a loss as the group combined for six tackles for loss or no gain", said Kosko.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV (47) 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

The Raiders' defense shows up in spurts and actualizes the latent potential hidden in their defensive line. Unfortunately for them, their performance will be overshadowed by the clinic Mahomes put on their secondary.

Their run-stopping held the Chiefs' running backs in check, with the longest rush on their offense going for 13 yards, but it was run by Xavier Worthy. The only rusher who had more than five yards per average on more than one rushing attempt was Mahomes.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Charles Snowden (49) 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

"Tyree Wilson and Charles Snowden each added two. Despite a 40.2 run-defense grade, the volume of opportunities — and Kansas City’s inconsistent rushing attack — helped the Raiders top the league for the week".

Is this stat more on the Raiders' defensive line or the Chiefs' lack of impressive running backs? Who's to say, but it's still encouraging that the Raiders' defense has something they can fall back on. They can build off of this performance after the bye week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who boast an offense that's looking to give Travis Etienne Jr. plenty of touches.

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