Total Meltdown: Raiders Have No Excuses After Disastrous Loss to Browns

LAS VEGAS, Nev.—Somehow and someway, the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) found a way to crash harder and to find a new low point since their arrival in the desert, tonight here at Allegiant Stadium.

With thousands of empty seats, it was the worst crowd since the Silver and Black marched into the desert, and the product the once-proud franchise put on the field warrants a refund for those who did pay and were mercilessly treated.

How bad was it?

The Al Davis Torch at Allegiant Stadium — Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Eric Allen lights the Al Davis Memorial Torch during the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At one point, I kept looking for the Ghost of Al Davis to blow out the torch dedicated to his famous line, “The fire that burns the brightest in the Raiders organization is the will to win.”

The 2025 Las Vegas Raiders season went from bad to worse after a disastrous loss to the Cleveland Browns, and the entire organization should share the blame.

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Geno Smith was sacked ten times, and the blame was warranted at every level.

The Lack of Vision

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

The sad part is that it has been amply evident for weeks that the proverbial season was over. While not mathematically eliminated from the National Football League playoffs, this team has no chance; they are not good.

So why not play more of your rookies? What is the win now mentality accomplishing for a team that, with each passing year, garners a worse NFL Draft spot and has no chance at the postseason?

Pete Carroll Talks Rookies

Las Vegas Raiders Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

I asked Pete Carroll about getting his two third-round rookie offensive linemen (Charles Grant, OT, and Caleb Rogers, IOL) into the game. His answer shouldn’t bring any hope to the broken hearts of Raider Nation.

"That's one way to look at it. You could just try something else, but we watch practice every day, and we watch the film. We do our work to make our evaluations, and those guys are going to have their day. They're going to have their time, maybe sooner than later, but based on what we've seen and what we know, we give it the best shot we can."

Geno Being Geno

Las Vegas Raiders Geno Smith | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Say what you want about QB Geno Smith, he leads. He hasn’t had a great year, and when it is his fault he steps to the microphone and blames no one but himself.

Honorably, he takes the heat when it isn’t his fault.

Was he perfect today? He was 30 of 44 for a 68% completion percentage, had one touchdown, and no interceptions, but was sacked ten times. He was literally running for his life, like a group of young kids chasing a piñata at a birthday party. He wasn’t to blame tonight.

I asked him about trying to execute a game plan while under that much duress.

"It's really on me. I got to make better plays, find a way."

Who’s to Blame?

Everyone from ownership on down. This organization needs to take a long look into the mirror and come to the realization that 2025 is over, and the ONLY way to make it worse is to not take more lumps in 2025 that can lessen the pain of 2026.

Las Vegas Raiders John Spytek, Mark Davis, and Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

With only six games left, who knows if they can get on the same page, but what they are doing is failing terribly.

Las Vegas Raiders Angry Fan | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

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