Why the Raiders Have Their Stiffest Challenge Yet

There are two different kinds of bad teams in sports. There are spunky rosters filled with young talent who might not have the experience or polish necessary to win consistently, but have the upside and playmaking to pull off an upset on any given night.

Even if they don't come away with a victory, they're usually at least a fun watch. The NFL has a couple of those this season, like the New York Giants with Jaxon Dart or the New Orleans Saints with Tyler Shough.

The Las Vegas Raiders were supposed to be one. They were even picked to be dark horse playoff threats in 2025, elevated by an aggressive offseason filled with win-now moves, such as hiring Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, trading for Geno Smith, and drafting running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, Cleveland Browns, Geno Smith, Pete Carroll, Greg Olson — Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks with head coach Pete Carroll and quarterbacks coach Greg Olsen in a game against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Can the Raiders show some moxie?

Instead, the Las Vegas Raiders have been bad in the other way this season. Despite all of the changes they made before the year, they failed to address the main issues that led them to a 4-13 mark in 2024. Now, they're on pace to finish with an even worse record, even though they made some promising additions.

The Raiders' defense just doesn't have the horses next to Maxx Crosby to compete. Their offensive line play is still putrid. Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty have been severely underwhelming this season, but it's impossible to evaluate them fairly this year due to the disadvantageous circumstances this team has put them in.

Amid a #Raiders rebuild, Pete Carroll admires how DeMeco Ryans turned the #Texans around

"They structured their acquisitions towards putting together a defense that can really go. That's what jumps out at you about their team. They're a good, solid offense but they play to their… pic.twitter.com/bcRbATRjgS
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) December 17, 2025

It's not too late for Las Vegas to show some signs of hope to carry into the offseason, though. Getting a huge upset win over the surging Houston Texans might be enough to sell this fanbase on the premise that this team could have a drastic turnaround by next year with just a few tweaks to the roster. NFL.com's panel of editors doesn't think it's possible, though.

All five members picked the Texans to cruise to victory by an average margin of over 18 points. Brooke Cersosimo predicted a 27-10 win for Houston:

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

"Props to DeMeco Ryans for turning this ship around in the second half of the season after starting 3-5... The championship-caliber defense leads the NFL in both scoring (16.3 PPG allowed) and total D (269.2 YPG allowed) and faces a floundering Raiders offense that ranks last in scoring (14 PPG), total offense (244.1 YPG), rushing (70.8 YPG) and sacks allowed (54).

Geno Smith could return after missing Week 15, but it likely won't matter on the scoreboard, as the Raiders have few consistent bright spots (Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers) on this current roster. Expect C.J. Stroud and Co. to cruise at home."

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

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