Smith, Raiders Keeping Things in Perspective Heading into Week 7

The Las Vegas Raiders season did not start how they would have hoped. Still, the Raiders have reason to be hopeful moving forward.

Smith's Perspective

Shortly before practicing this week, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith noted how his previous experience around the league have prepared him for the situation the Raiders are in.

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

"Last year, we were four and five at the bye, and we won 10 games. I think we missed the playoffs by like a fifth tie breaker. It's never over. It's the NFL. And again, the key is to develop and get better throughout the season," Smith said.

"I know, like, again, I'll talk about the process, and I know everyone's so fixated on just the results, and that's kind of like the simplest way to look at things, but there's a whole process that goes into this."

Smith noted that not only do the Raiders have a large number of new players on their team, many of those new players are young. This has also played a part in the growing pains the Raiders have experienced throughout the first half of the season.

“And we got, like I said, we got a lot of young players and a lot of guys playing together for the first time, so there's a development learning curve for all of us, and so we're just getting through that, and each week we've gotten better. And I think as we go on, we'll continue to do that if we take the right approach."

Smith also noted the vibe within the Raiders' locker room after winning their second game of the season and snapping their four-game losing streak. Las Vegas is 2-4, but a win against the Chiefs would instantly turn the Raiders' season around and move them closer to .500.

"Shoot, working hard. Everybody's upbeat. We got great leadership. Again, we didn't start the way we'd like to, I think a couple of plays here and there, and we may be talking about it different, but that's not the reality,” Smith said.

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

“So our guys are just focused on getting better every single day, looking forward to competition Wednesday today, competing against the defense and seeing who can win the battle today, and then we'll move forward the next day. But overall, man, great leadership. I mean locker rooms upbeat. Guys are focused on what's ahead and really trying to get the season turned around."

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