The bye halted the Las Vegas Raiders’ slide down the NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 9. This round of the rankings is an interesting one, too, because each outlet had a different theme, allowing us to touch
on several topics and gain multiple perspectives on the Raiders’ campaign.
ESPN
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 29
Best offseason addition: CB Eric Stokes
Stokes, who signed a one-year deal with Las Vegas in the offseason, has been fairly solid as a starter. In 221 coverage snaps, Stokes has allowed 11 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown on 21 targets. He has given up a passer rating of 93.6 and a completion rate of 52.4%. “He’s just a steady player… Very athletic [and] smart,” Raiders defensive backs coach Joe Woods said. “He hasn’t made a lot of plays on the ball because there haven’t been a lot of opportunities coming his way. But at the same time, he hasn’t given up a lot of plays.” — Ryan McFadden
I’d argue that Ashton Jeanty has been the Raiders’ best offseason addition, but I can agree that Stokes is up there and has been solid this year. Granted, that’s not saying much. The free-agent signing is benefiting from playing with a linebacker corps that struggles in coverage and on the opposite side of a corner who has given up the second-most receiving yards at the position, per Pro Football Focus, in my opinion.
The Athletic
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Something scary: The offensive collapse
It may be unfair to call it a collapse because the offense never actually was good. It was just supposed to be something, and that something wasn’t really, really bad. The Raiders are scoring on just 28 percent of their drives, which ranks 31st in the league, and have 10 touchdowns, which ranks next to last. Geno Smith has 10 interceptions and only seven touchdowns, and the running game is the worst in the league as measured by EPA (minus-41.47). Brock Bowers missing three games hasn’t helped, either. — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
The Athletic is leaning into the Halloween theme here, and Las Vegas’ offense has certainly been freighting over the last couple of months. In addition to the numbers above, the Raiders averaged 1.7 touchdowns per game last year and are at 1.4 so far in 2025, per TeamRankings. So, the offense is slightly worse than last season’s abysmal performance.
Sports Illustrated
27. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 29
I don’t think the Tyler Lockett signing makes the Raiders any more interesting, but with games against the Cowboys, Browns and Jaguars upcoming, I think we’ll see whether or not Pete Carroll and his staff can carve out a longer-term opportunity in Las Vegas. Remember, it is believed that Carroll signed a shorter-than-normal coaching contract that can be more easily moved on from. — Conor Orr
Carroll has a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year, according to ESPN. It’s fair to wonder if he’ll be in Las Vegas for the entirety of that deal, but Mark Davis said last week that the head coach’s job is safe, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Plus, I’m sure Davis wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of paying three coaches (Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Carroll) to no longer work for him. In other words, barring complete dysfunction in the second half of the season or a surprise retirement by the 74-year-old, I’d be surprised if the Raiders are looking for a new leader in the offseason.
Bleacher Report
27. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Coming out of their bye week, the Las Vegas Raiders will have a healthy Brock Bowers, which should help their 29th-ranked passing attack, and Geno Smith, who’s struggling mightily to complete a pass 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Wideout Jakobi Meyers, who missed the team’s previous outing with knee and toe injuries, could also be back in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Already near the bottom of our rankings with five losses in their last seven outings, the Raiders could be sellers at the trade deadline, which may allow younger players to see the field. If Las Vegas loses to the Jaguars, the team will likely win five or fewer games this season, though it could focus on developing younger players for the remainder of the campaign. — Moe Moton
Moton brings up a couple of good points that are tied together. If Las Vegas takes down Jacksonville this Sunday, the organization will likely think it has a shot at a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and hold onto players like Meyers ahead of next week’s trade deadline. And while the Jaguars are favored, the Raiders’ offense hasn’t had Meyers and a 100 percent healthy Bowers on the field together since the season-opening win against the New England Patriots. So, this weekend could be the swing game when it comes to the approach for the rest of the season.
NFL.com
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 29
The Raiders have scored 26 points in their last 12 quarters and are coming off one of the worst offensive showings of the NFL season against the Chiefs prior to the bye. Pete Carroll looked completely spooked after that one, with his first season in Vegas currently going completely sideways. It’s clear that the Raiders haven’t been the same since Brock Bowers got hurt, although it’s fair to wonder how much longer Geno Smith will have as the starter. He was pulled late against the Chiefs for Kenny Pickett, who might get a longer look if Smith continues struggling. The trade deadline also could be active for the Raiders now that they’re pretty much out of contention. A lot of changes could be coming. — Eric Edholm
Normally, I’d brush off a team making a quarterback change in a game that’s 31-0 midway through the fourth quarter. But what stands out to me is that the Raiders were in a similar situation two games prior, trailing 40-3 heading into the final frame against the Indianapolis Colts, but Carroll left Smith in the game and said that the offense needed to get more practice together. I still expect Geno to be the starter this Sunday, but the benching against the Chiefs could be a sign that the quarterback’s leash is getting shorter.
