On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Las Vegas Raiders. We welcome Matt Holder of Silver and Black Pride — our sister SBNation site covering the Raiders — for Five Questions with the Enemy.
1. What do the Raiders need to do this offseason to position themselves for a winning season next year?
To be
honest, I don’t think there is a realistic scenario where the Raiders have a winning season next year. Their roster has so many holes that Las Vegas is likely looking at least a two-year rebuild. The organization would have to hit on just about every free-agent signing and top draft pick this offseason — and that’s just unrealistic. Additionally, if the Raiders aim to build a consistent winner, they should prioritize getting younger by focusing more on the draft and signing free agents who are seeking their second NFL contracts, rather than acquiring well-established veterans.
To answer your question, though, it starts with the quarterback situation. Ever since the franchise moved on from Derek Carr, it’s been quarterback roulette in the gambling capital of the world. The team needs stability and a talent upgrade at that position, which is where the No. 1 or 2 overall pick comes in handy.
2. What has been your biggest disappointment with the Raiders this season?
There are a lot of options to choose from, but it’s quarterback Geno Smith.
I never thought the 35-year-old would be the long-term answer behind center, but I did think he would at least help make the team competitive. Along the same lines, I knew Smith was turnover-prone, but I thought that would at least come with some of the high-level throws he made in Seattle. Instead, the Raiders got a quarterback who leads the league in interceptions with 17 and has tossed his fewest amount of ‘big-time throws’ (14) as a full-time starter, per Pro Football Focus.
3. Do you expect the organization to stick with Pete Carroll, or does it feel like one more bad season puts him squarely on the hot seat?
I lean toward the latter. There have already been multiple reports that suggest Carroll is going to be a one-and-done head coach — and as I noted, the Raiders are looking at a multi-year rebuild. Ideally, they’d have a head coach who can see the team throw it and continue building on the culture he’s established. That’s where Carroll’s age becomes a significant factor, since it doesn’t really make sense to keep a guy around who will be 75 years old in September.
Carroll hasn’t said this directly, but he’s indicated that turning the Raiders around has been a bigger undertaking than he thought it was at the beginning of the year. He kicked off training camp by talking about how many times he’s won 10 games during his career and made it clear that was one of his goals. Well, it’s safe to say he fell short of that. So, it wouldn’t surprise me if Carroll steps down or there’s a “mutual parting of ways” at some point next week.
4. If you had to pick two current Raiders players to build around, who would they be — and what makes them foundational pieces?
Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
I think Bowers is obvious since he had the best rookie season for a tight end in NFL history and managed to make the Pro Bowl this year with 64 catches, 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games while battling a knee injury and bad quarterback play. He can be what Travis Kelce has been to the Chiefs’ offense over the years.
I know the box score numbers aren’t impressive for Jeanty, but that reflects more on the Raiders’ offensive line than it does him. Jeanty has been good when he’s given a sliver of breathing room, ranking fifth among running backs with 57 missed tackles forced as a rusher, per PFF — and is only 112 rushing yards away from 1,000 on the season. The latter is pretty impressive considering the poor blocking in front of him.
To be honest, this was a hard question for me to answer, though. Maxx Crosby turns 29 in August, so I don’t think he fits the criteria you’re asking about — and it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets traded this offseason. Also, part of the frustration with the Raiders’ season is that they have a lot of older veterans on one-year contracts taking reps from the young guys. That makes it hard to find foundational pieces for the franchise.
5. With both the Chiefs and Raiders out of playoff contention, what are you most interested in seeing in this matchup — and why should fans still tune in?
I’ll be interested to see how rookie guard Caleb Rogers does against a guy like Chris Jones, and I’m hoping third-round pick Charles Grant gets a significant amount of reps at left tackle. Also, I’ll be on Jeanty 1k watch and would like to see rookie cornerback Darien Porter finish the season strong.
But if I’m being real, this will be the first time in my life that I’m actively rooting for the Chiefs to beat the Raiders because I really want to secure the No. 1 pick of the draft. There’s a chance that happens before kickoff, though. If the Giants beat the Cowboys during Sunday’s early slate, or if the Seahawks lose to the 49ers on Saturday, the Browns lose to the Bengals and the Falcons lose to the Saints early on Sunday, then the Raiders will have the No. 1 pick even if they win.
As for why fans should tune in, we only have so much football left to watch and, obviously, this is the last time we get to see our teams play for about eight months. Just think of the dog days of summer when you’d be begging for a battle between Chris Oladokun and Kenny Pickett! Plus, it could be Travis Kelce’s last game. That being said, I’d probably just watch RedZone if I didn’t have to watch this game.
Be sure to check out the answers I gave to their questions by clicking here.
