Raiders in Offensive Crisis: Solutions in Sight?
The Las Vegas Raiders’ offense has hit rock bottom in a season marked by inconsistency. In week 10, the team suffered a new setback against the division-leading Denver Broncos, in a game where the defense offered its best performance of the year, but the offense couldn’t capitalize. Tight end Brock Bowers managed only one reception for 31 yards, quarterback Geno Smith threw his twelfth interception of the season, and Las Vegas failed to surpass 100 rushing yards for the fourth consecutive time. The 10-7 loss to the Broncos marked the fourth time this season that the Raiders scored less than 10 points, the most in the NFL and a franchise record. The streak of 29 consecutive games without exceeding 30 points is the longest in the league and the second longest in Raiders history.The arrival of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and the addition of players like Ashton Jeanty and Geno Smith generated expectations of improvement, but the reality has been different. Injuries to key players such as Bowers, left tackle Kolton Miller, and right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson have impacted offensive performance. Errors, Smith’s turnovers, and untimely penalties have made it difficult to sustain offensive drives.“My level of concern is that we are not scoring enough points,” commented coach Pete Carroll. “It’s something quite obvious… There are many factors involved.”
Pete Carroll
“It’s frustrating to say this, but we have to get out of this hole,” said tight end Michael Mayer.
Michael Mayer
The team expected a breakthrough after the overtime loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 9. Smith threw four touchdown passes, but against Denver, the offense didn’t work.“We are definitely not where we want to be,” expressed wide receiver Tre Tucker.
Tre Tucker
The arrival of Smith and the selection of Jeanty generated optimism, but the results have not been as expected. Kelly, with a successful track record in Oregon and during his time in the NFL, has not managed to replicate those successes with the Raiders. In his time with the Eagles, Kelly’s team ranked third in points. However, his time with the 49ers was less successful, with a record of 2-14. Kelly’s return to the NFL has not been favorable and has drawn comparisons to his 2016 season with the 49ers.“We were excited about Brock’s return. Unfortunately, against Denver, we couldn’t function. Was it Denver? Was it us? We’ll find out,” Carroll commented.
Pete Carroll
Since the Week 1 victory, Smith has thrown for 1,482 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, the most in the league. He has struggled against zone coverage, throwing 10 interceptions on 123 attempts. The offense has become conservative, relying on the short passing game. Smith averaged 9.2 air yards per attempt between weeks 1 and 3. Since then, he has averaged 4.9 air yards per attempt. Penalties and pass protection have also prevented the Raiders from keeping offensive series alive. Against Denver, the Raiders recorded 10 first downs and converted 4 of 15 third-down attempts. Smith was sacked four times on third down. Penalties by Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech negated big plays, including a 31-yard touchdown pass from Tucker.“When we played against the Chargers, they knew we were an explosive offense. They kept everything in front of us. I think a lot of people have been following that model,” Tucker said.
Tre Tucker
“You can’t have assignment errors, penalties, or turnovers,” Smith said. “When the Raiders stop beating themselves, we can beat anyone in this league, but we have to stop being ourselves first.”
Geno Smith
Carroll has demanded a greater emphasis on running the ball and playing under center. Smith has lined up in the shotgun formation on 81.5% of his plays, compared to 14.3% under center. Carroll doesn’t plan to change his approach for the rest of the season. Kelly hopes the team can “keep the pace”. Dallas offers an opportunity for the Raiders to do it. The Cowboys’ defense ranks 28th in rushing yards and passing yards allowed. However, Dallas improved its defensive line, acquiring Quinnen Williams.“You want to be balanced. Being balanced is a good thing,” Kelly said. “If you run the ball more, it probably means you’re winning, because that means you’re in a four-minute offense, and you’re going to run the ball more in a four-minute offense than in a two-minute offense.”
Chip Kelly
Regardless of how the last eight weeks play out, the Raiders will have questions to answer at the end of the season. Las Vegas has two offensive cornerstones in Jeanty and Bowers, but there’s a lot of work to be done, especially at the quarterback position. Smith has a dead cap hit of only $18.5 million in 2026, so it’s possible the Raiders will get rid of him. Whether Smith proves he can still be the starter beyond 2025, there should be a succession plan. Las Vegas has a 7% chance of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and a 54.1% chance of selecting in the top five, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Las Vegas interior offensive line could look a little different. Dylan Parham will be an unrestricted free agent, and center Jordan Meredith is a restricted free agent. Following the departure of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, the Raiders need another reliable receiver. Spytek hinted during the league meetings in April that it would take more than one season to fix the Raiders. The team’s attempt to speed up the process by bringing in Smith and Kelly did not prevent them from having to face the inevitability of a long rebuilding process.“There aren’t many teams that have the luxury of having so many defensive linemen with Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark and now Quinnen, so Dallas presents some problems,” Kelly said.
Chip Kelly
“This is not what I expected to happen, and I didn’t feel we would be so far behind at the start of the season,” Carroll said.
Pete Carroll
