Raiders mailbag: Is team headed in right direction this season?

Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 days ago

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll congratulates Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) and of ... — Raiders head coach Pete Carroll congratulates Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) and offensive tackle Kolton Miller (74) after a score against the Chicago Bears during the first half of their NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll congratulates Raiders offensive tackle DJ Glaze (71) and others after a score against the Chicago Bears during the first half of their NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll congratulates running back Ashton Jeanty (2) on a touchdown run against the Chicago Bears during the second half of their NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, left, and General Manager John Spytek discuss during the team’s training camp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center on Friday, Aug 1, 2025, in Henderson. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

Raiders general manager John Spytek, left, meets with defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) and linebacker Devin White (45) on the sideline during the second half of an NFL preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @HeidiFang

The Raiders (1-3) hope to halt a three-game losing streak Sunday in Indianapolis.

It won’t be easy against the resurgent Colts (3-1), who have been one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season so far.

Fans have plenty of questions heading into the Raiders’ difficult road matchup. Here is a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:

Eric Galvan (@eg720): What’s the end game this season?

Vincent Bonsignore: This is a fascinating question.

Coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady want to create a winning mindset that spreads throughout the organization, something the Raiders have lacked for years.

Doing so means building a competitive environment throughout the building.

The goal this year is to set the tone and find players who embrace the direction the team is going in. It’s also about getting a better handle on what positions the Raiders still need to shore up as they rebuild their roster.

Obviously, winning games is still paramount. But there is a long-term vision the team is working toward as well.

TalkJames (@talkjames): It looks to me that the Raiders are going in the right direction. What is your view? It also looks like the “win now” philosophy has been holding the team back. If they had thought in terms of a rebuild starting in 2020, they might be a championship team today. Thoughts?

Bonsignore: Winning in the present while rebuilding for the future is a tough needle to thread. But the Raiders don’t expect to win the Super Bowl this year, they just want to create a winning culture.

It does feel like the team is making progress on that front, even if the results don’t reflect that.

Ed Helinski (@MrEd315): With their upcoming schedule, will the Raiders have a scary good or a nightmare October?

Bonsignore: The Raiders’ three opponents this month are the Colts, Titans (0-4) and Chiefs (2-2).

Let’s just say things could get real spooky if the team doesn’t beat Tennessee at home on Oct. 12.

Kyle Herrmann (@Kjherrm): How close is (offensive tackle) Charles Grant, honestly, to getting starting time over Stone Forsythe?

Bonsignore: The Raiders have high hopes Grant, a rookie third-round pick out of William &Mary. But it’s difficult to say how ready he is because regular-season practices are closed to the media.

The coaching staff doesn’t want to put him out there yet, even after left tackle Kolton Miller suffered an ankle injury in last week’s loss to the Bears. The Raiders are more comfortable with Forsythe being the next man up for now. But things move fast in the NFL, so that could change in a few weeks.

Raider Javy (@raider_javy): (Wide receiver) Dont’e Thornton and (quarterback) Geno Smith had good chemistry in the offseason. Why isn’t he getting more targets? Also, why aren’t they targeting (tight end) Brock Bowers in the red zone?

Bonsignore: Thornton, a rookie fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, had flashes in training camp, but he remains a work in progress. He should earn a larger role over time. It may just take patience.

As for Bowers, the knee injury he suffered Week 1 has played a large role in how he’s been used the last three games.

Grant Weathers (@GDub_06): Any news on a Lonnie Johnson return?

Bonsignore: The safety remains on injured reserve after breaking his fibula during training camp.

Johnson is eligible to return to practice, but that has not happened yet.

Daniel Leslie (@DanielELeslie7): Will (defensive end) Tyree Wilson get more snaps going forward?

Bonsignore: Wilson played 31 snaps against the Bears, his second-most of the season.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 draft was on the field for 38 snaps in the Raiders’ season opener, but played just 14 and 22 snaps in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively.

A lot of that fluctuation has to do with how those games played out. When the Raiders have a lead — like they did in Week 1 and for much of Week 4 — Wilson will see the field more because other teams will need to pass. If the Raiders’ opponents have a lead and start running more, then his playing time decreases.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.