It certainly doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving week for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the team has little to be thankful for after a double-digit loss to the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Meanwhile, the Raiders continue
to slide down the NFL Power Rankings as the five outlets below have them ranked in the 30s heading into Week 13.
Sports Illustrated
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 30
During the Raiders game, I wondered aloud to no one in particular if this was the worst offensive performance, from coach to quarterback to offensive line, that I’d ever seen. Hours later, the Raiders were in the market for a new offensive coordinator. — Conor Orr
The Chip Kelly era is officially over, while the Greg Olson 3.0 era begins. It’s hard to imagine that we’ll see many significant changes at this point in the season, but this could lead to more targets for Brock Bowers over the final six games. A to Z Sports’ AJ Schulte pointed out that Olson has a history of getting the ball to tight ends during his three stints as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator. Granted, Jon Gruden was the play caller for a lot of the seasons in Schulte’s post below.
The Athletic
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 30
One big question: Who is calling the shots?
Pete Carroll got his quarterback, but is he also the one who chose Chip Kelly, the league’s highest-paid offensive coordinator, who was fired Sunday after 11 games? Is Tom Brady in charge? John Spytek? There’s just a lot that isn’t known about the Raiders’ new structure and who will be calling the shots this offseason. — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
It’s a fair question, and here’s my read on it:
Mark Davis has mentioned on several occasions that one of his biggest mistakes when he first took over as owner was pairing a first-year head coach (Dennis Allen) with a first-year general manager (Reggie McKenzie). So, when Brady wanted to move on from Tom Telesco and hire his college buddy, Sptyek, Davis’ input was that they needed an experienced head coach. Brady respects winners, which Carroll certainly has been in the past, and no one is more “experienced” than the 74-year-old. From there, Carroll put together the coaching staff (who else would have hired his sons?) and is responsible for the hiring and firing of Kelly. Spytek certainly shoulders blame for the roster construction, but Carroll also plays a role in that and is refusing to play the majority of the guys the general manager drafted.
Now, who is calling the shots moving forward? That’s a good question…
ESPN
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Thanksgiving game memory: OT win over Dallas in 2021
There haven’t been many memorable moments for the Raiders since they moved to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020. However, in 2021, quarterback Derek Carr led the Raiders to a 36-33 overtime win in Dallas. He threw for 373 yards and a touchdown, and kicker Daniel Carlson converted the winning field goal, which was set up by a defensive pass interference. — Ryan McFadden
As someone who is married to a Cowboys fan, I co-sign on this being the Raiders’ best Thanksgiving moment. This game was also the turning point of the 2021 season, in a way, as Las Vegas had lost three games in a row heading into it. Granted, the team did lose during the two following weeks, but the Silver and Black ended up winning five out of their last seven games (including the matchup in Dallas) to make the playoffs.
Bleacher Report
30. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
At this point, spectators should be worried about quarterback Geno Smith every time he drops back in the pocket. He’s taken 20 sacks over the last three weeks, behind an unsettled offensive line with backups at left tackle and on the interior. Without Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson, the Raiders’ offensive line isn’t going to make any strides, which leaves Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty vulnerable to aggressive defensive fronts. Looking at the attack-style defenses this team plays post-Thanksgiving, it may not win another game this season. — Moe Moton
For context, the Raiders play the Chargers, Broncos, Eagles, Texans, Giants and Chiefs to round out the campaign. All six of those teams have good defensive lines, and New York is the only club that isn’t in the playoff picture. Granted, that’s good news if you’re rooting for the tank.
NFL.com
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Look, Raiders fans, I’m sorry. I truly wish I knew what to tell you here, that it will be all right eventually, but I just can’t in good conscience do that. I hate lying, and right now this Raiders operation is just non-functional on the whole. That Geno Smith finished with one of his better passing totals of the season is truly remarkable, because if you tuned into this game briefly, there was nearly as good a chance of seeing Smith on his back from one of the 10 sacks he took as it was to see him completing a pass. Along with a bushel of penalties and some horrendous tackling on defense, it was just a putrid game against the Browns. They might need to ctrl-alt-delete this thing again in the offseason. — Eric Edholm
Edholm’s last line is what makes this season so frustrating for me and the majority of Raider Nation. It’d be one thing if this were the 2013 team that was awful and started the year 0-10. But at least that team played the young guys like rookies Derek Carr and Khalil Mack, to name a couple, and they got better toward the end of the season, winning three out of the last six games. But that’s not happening this year, and the 2025 Raiders are regressing, highlighted by last week’s loss to the Browns.
