What’s gone wrong for the Raiders this season? Let’s count the ways
Pete Carroll, on the eve of his first training camp with the Raiders, was asked what his expectations were for this season.
The 74-year-old coach, who won a national championship at USC and a Super Bowl with the Seahawks, didn’t try to downplay his enthusiasm.
“We are going to win a bunch of games,” Carroll said without batting an eye. “I can’t even imagine anything else. I’ve been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something. I mean, what are my expectations? We are going to win a bunch, and I don’t care who hears that.
“It ain’t about what anybody hears. It’s about what we do, and so that’s why expectations are really high. The standards need to be (high) so that the expectations can be met. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s obvious seven games into Carroll’s first season that the Raiders aren’t meeting those standards. They stumbled into their bye week with a 2-5 record after a putrid 31-0 loss to the Chiefs.
Yes, injuries to standout players like tight end Brock Bowers and left tackle Kolton Miller have hurt. Especially on a roster that lacks depth. But that doesn’t explain performances like the one the Raiders authored against the Chiefs, or the effort they showed in a 40-6 loss to the Colts on Oct. 5. How did a team with such high hopes fall woefully short? Here are three reasons:
1.
Smith has not delivered
The Raiders made a run at quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason, hoping to pry the Super Bowl winner from the Rams.
The team pivoted when Stafford and Los Angeles agreed to restructure his contract. Carroll turned to an old friend, sending the Seahawks a third-round pick for quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith, 35, was supposed to give the Raiders stability under center. It’s what he did for Seattle after Carroll handed him the starting job in 2022.
Smith hasn’t been the upgrade the Raiders were hoping for. A quarterback known for his accuracy and efficiency with the Seahawks has been careless with the football. Smith’s 10 interceptions are tied for the most in the NFL. His 77.1 passer rating ranks 30th in the league, while his 65.8 completion percentage ranks 18th among quarterbacks with more than 15 passing attempts.
Smith has in many ways held the Raiders’ offense back. He’s failed to push the ball downfield but has still taken 19 sacks, the seventh-most in the NFL. He’s also played a role in the team’s struggles in the red zone. The Raiders are scoring touchdowns on just 38.9 percent of their trips inside their opponent’s 20-yard line, the worst rate in the league.
The team needs Smith, who made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023, to be the quarterback he was in Seattle. Otherwise, the Raiders have no shot to turn things around.
Smith signed a two-year extension soon after the trade, so he’ll likely be around next season regardless of how the rest of the campaign goes. But his struggles should accelerate the Raiders’ search for a long-term answer at the quarterback position.
2.
Offensive line disappoints
The Raiders’ offensive line was mediocre to downright bad even before Miller suffered an ankle injury Week 4 in a loss to the Bears.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, a 2024 second-round pick, is inconsistent at right guard. He was dominant against the Colts in Week 5, but struggled so much against the Chiefs he was benched in favor of veteran Alex Cappa.
Powers-Johnson, 22, is talented and a strong run blocker. But the Raiders need a lot more from him.
Left guard Dylan Parham and right tackle DJ Glaze, a 2024 third-round pick, have also been up and down. Jordan Meredith has been solid but not spectacular after moving to center this offseason.
The group as a whole has had a hard time opening up holes for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. It hasn’t given Smith much protection, either.
The Raiders’ offensive line is ranked 28th in the NFL, according to the website Pro Football Focus. That just isn’t good enough.
Miller, one of the team’s stalwarts, should return at some point. But he can’t fix everything that ails this group. The Raiders need to think long and hard about what needs to change up front.
3.
Not enough firepower on defense
The Raiders let cornerback Nate Hobbs (Packers), safety Tre’von Moehrig (Panthers) and linebackers Robert Spillane (Patriots) and Divine Deablo (Falcons) walk in free agency this offseason.
They’re feeling those losses this year. Their linebacker room is less athletic, their cornerbacks are less effective and the defense as a whole has less chemistry. The Raiders are 24th in the NFL in points allowed per game (25.7).
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense toyed with the group last week. Kansas City scored touchdowns on its first four possession, with each drive lasting at least nine plays.
Part of the problem is the Raiders haven’t been able to mount a consistent pass rush outside of star defensive end Maxx Crosby and second-year defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, a Centennial High alum. Defensive end Tyree Wilson has just two sacks, while defensive end Malcolm Koonce has one.
That’s exposed a secondary experiencing growing pains. Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, a Bishop Gorman alum, has been targeted at times. Rookie Darien Porter, a third-round pick, is still learning how to play cornerback after beginning his college career at Iowa State as a wide receiver.
The Raiders still may have been right to let Hobbs, Moehrig, Spillane and Deablo walk. They are projected to have $103 million in cap space next offseason and should get compensatory draft picks as a result of the quartet’s departure.
Still, in the here and now, the Raiders haven’t been able to adequately replace their production.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
