Why the Raiders Find Themselves in a Familiar Position

The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-5 for the second consecutive season, but that is not the only similarity between this Raiders team and previous ones.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As much as things change, things essentially stay the same. The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-5 for the second consecutive season, after starting 3-5 three seasons ago. After an offseason full of change, the results have been all too familiar for the Silver and Black.

Early Positioning

The Raiders entered the season hoping to take the next step. However, injuries, poor play and poor coaching have led to another disappointing start for Las Vegas. Although there is still time to turn things around, it is fair to wonder how realistic that is for the Raiders.

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

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports noted that the Raiders' start has them in line for another top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. At 2-5 with a challenging schedule on the horizon, it is fair to begin peeking toward the Raiders' future.

Entering the Bye Week, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll noted his plans to mix things up on the depth chart and let a few of the younger players get more involved for the Raiders. It is time for Las Vegas to see what they have behind their veterans.

"Carter Runyon caught his first ball there. The ball in the first series right off the bat. He's out there playing football for us and he's contributing to special teams. He's one of the guys that's really helped us in special teams since he's been up. And so, yeah, it helps. The more plays that we can log with the new guys, Jack [Bech] and Dont'e [Thornton Jr.], we can show them the things that they need to improve on and the things that they're not quite as sharp on. It helps them," Carroll said.

“And there's some pain in that too. There's some pain in there that we have to undergo. But it's how you do it. By the time you get to the middle of the season, these guys should have things really cleaned up, and they should be ready to go and we can count on them and thy can come through and not be error repeaters, you know? And that's what we're working hard at.

“Darien [Porter], I'm always looking for chances to get him out there and get him playing. So, that's good and we'll continue to do that. There are guys up front on the offensive line and on the defensive line that we would love to give some playtime to. We stuck a couple guys in there just to get a couple snaps in at the end. They just need to be on the field, so we're going to continue to push that way.”

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