HENDERSON, Nev. — At 2-5, the Las Vegas Raiders are looking at missing the NFL playoffs for the fourth straight year.

But respectability is still within reach. And if you think the Silver and Black are going to go into tank mode, forget it. Pete Carroll isn’t wired that way. Neither is general manager John Spytek.

The path back to respectability begins Sunday at Allegiant Stadium when the Raiders host Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a respectable 4-3 and sit in second place in the AFC South. Rookie Travis Hunter is impressing folks with his two-way play on both offense as a receiver and on defense as a member of the Jags’ secondary.

Still, it’s a game the Raiders can win. They’ve had a bye week following their 31-0 no-show performance in Kansas City against the Chiefs. They’re expected to have tight end Brock Bowers back for the first time since Sept. 29 following a knee injury in Week 1 against the Patriots along with backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who fractured his thumb in the final preseason game against Arizona . Defensive end Maxx Crosby refuses to sit out despite knee issues so Trevor Lawrence can expect to see a lot of Mad Maxx on Sunday.

Can they bounce back?

“We have a difficult opponent that’s beat some really good teams and got a winning record and a lot of star players and star power,” Carroll said Wednesday at the Intermountain Health Performance center. “It’s going to take a lot from us to put together a good week and a game that we can get in the win column. We need that badly. So, we’re very determined.”

It’s going to mean getting the offense going and for Geno Smith to finally have a consistent performance from the opening snap. Getting Bowers back is a potential huge step in the right direction. So was Carroll’s proclamation that the running game is showing signs of breaking out.

“Yeah, we really do see the glimpses of the continuity that it takes to run the football,” he said. “We have no question about what both Ashton (Jeanty) and Raheem (Mostert) bring to us. We’ve got to make sure that we’re giving them the opportunities.

“In the game last week (vs. Kansas City) when we really wanted to run the football, we couldn’t make a first down, so we didn’t have the opportunities. But I can see it and feel it, and it looks like we’re really connected, and so we need to show the results of that.”

Jeanty, who has averaged 4.0 yards a carry while rushing for 445 yards and three CDs on the ground, said he feels like he is making progress.

“Yeah, I see the same thing,” Jeanty said. “I mean, obviously it starts up front. I can’t do what I do without the guys blocking. But also me just building that chemistry with them, understanding the schemes better and better, and then just getting more reps.”

The Raiders also signed veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, who Carroll coached in Seattle and who Smith has a close relationship with from their Seahawks days. But Smith said any additions, be it the return of Bowers or the signing of Lockett, are welcome.

“When I watch all our games I see a lot of guys making plays, guys out there straining, the offensive line is protecting their butts off, doing all the things that we ask them to do,” Smith said. “And then a lot of just us shooting ourselves in the foot. If we stop that, then it looks a lot better in my opinion.”

Smith is as guilty as anyone when it comes to shooting oneself in the foot. His 10 interceptions are tied for the most in the NFL. So he knows he has to play better. Of course, he has been saying that since Week 2. But if the Raiders are going to turn their season around, Smith will have to be one of the catalysts.

Carroll said he likes the way the team handled its bye week last week. Guys like Crosby were able to use the time off to get treatment and try and be ready to go. The attitude appears to be good throughout the team. Nobody is bailing on the season at this point.

“The three days that we worked were very productive,” Carroll said of the bye week. “We worked on things after the bye that we’d like to adjust and do. We’ve also created some opportunities for guys to compete for positions, as we always like doing, and this was kind of a time to take a look at that.

“Not going to tell you all about that, but it’s apparent to our team that we’re continuing to push to get better. So, looking forward to this week.”