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After hiring Pete Carroll and trading for Geno Smith to be their starting quarterback, there’s a new era with the Las Vegas Raiders. In a competitive AFC, is this enough to make the postseason?
Moreover, the Raiders’ competition will be within their own division. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs last season through the Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs win another AFC West division title.
Despite finishing in last place, FS1’s Nick Wright believes the Silver and Black have the talent to rebound in 2025. He predicts strong performance throughout the season will secure the Raiders a spot in the playoffs. Wright also believes they’ll be finishing second in the AFC West.
“You go from Aidan O’Connell to [Geno Smith] who is consistently an above-average NFL quarterback,” Wright said on “First Things First.” “I don’t need to say top 10, above average. You go from Antonio Pierce to a future Hall of Fame coach. You add Ashton Jeanty. You have Year 2 Brock Bowers.”
What Concerns Do the Raiders Have?
Although Wright praised the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive strengths, he also identified weaknesses in their execution this season. Furthermore, these weaknesses could influence close games, making it harder for the Raiders to qualify for the postseason.
“I think this is an offense that can cook,” Wright added. “Now, they’re going to need to because defensively they are going to struggle. They also get a huge benefit: they are the team that gets to play the Chiefs in Week 18 when they’ve got their feet kicked up… When you’re in the AFC West, you pray one of your two Chiefs games is week 18.”
Las Vegas will be looking for a bounce-back year from Maxx Crosby, who recorded 7.5 sacks last season. Now, 7.5 sacks is a lot. However, by Crosby’s standards, it’s a down season. Considering that in 2022, he posted 12.5 sacks, and in 2023, the Raiders star registered 14.5 sacks.
Pete Carroll Ready for the Challenge in Las Vegas
If Wright is accurate with his prediction, then it would mean that Carroll would have started this new challenge that he was excited about with results, despite his age. When he spoke to the media on January 27 at his first press conference to introduce himself as the Raider head coach, Carroll noted that age is just a number for him.
“It’s the very next step we get to take that fires me up,” Carroll said. “It’s the next challenge. It’s coming back or overcoming. It’s celebrating the success you just had and making yourself come back to basic and continue to be uncommonly consistent that drives me.
“The stuff that you’ve heard about Pete and having fun and throwing the ball around, that’s part of it, but it’s about the competing. And proving you have value and you have worth. I don’t care how old you are. And for anyone out there who’s old and wants to know how you do it, you freaking battle every day and you compete and you find a way to get better.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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