Silver And Black Pride
It’s a feeling all too familiar for Las Vegas Raiders fans this time of year. At 2-6 heading into the second half of the 2025 season, the Raiders’ focus over the next nine weeks is on the future rather than the current campaign or a potential playoff run. The good news is that Brock Bowers showed why he’s a franchise-building block last Sunday, as Bowers’ return is the primary topic in the Week 10 NFL Power Rankings across the league.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 27
I was ready to emotionally reinvest in the Raiders after seeing this offense with a full complement of playmakers. Brock Bowers put together one of the best tight end games I’ve seen in the last five years and has a straight-up freaky level of athleticism. Geno Smith was one touch throw away from having Vegas at a very manageable two games under .500. — Conor Orr
Everyone knew the Raiders were missing a big part of their offense without Bowers in the lineup, but there was something about seeing him dominate in his first game back that cemented how important the second-year pro is to the team. He was unstoppable against Jacksonville, and it will be interesting to see how Bowers performs against an elite defense on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos.
27. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 27
The Las Vegas Raiders showed on Sunday that they’re not punting on this season. Their offense got a big boost from Brock Bowers’ return, and the Raiders got a mostly good performance out of quarterback Geno Smith.
Las Vegas took the Jacksonville Jaguars to overtime in a back-and-forth battle and refused to play for a tie at the end of the extra period. After the teams traded overtime touchdowns and with mere seconds left on the clock, the Raiders tried to win it with a two-point conversion.
The attempt failed. As a result, Las Vegas fell to 2-6 and probably out of the playoff picture for good. However, Week 9 provided something on which they can build as they look to evaluate the roster over the second half of the season. — Kris Knox
The tight end is the biggest story from last Sunday, of course, but Smith also had his best performance since the season opener. The interception was bad, but he was efficient throughout the afternoon, posting a season-high 84.2 adjusted completion percentage according to Pro Football Focus. It certainly wasn’t a perfect outing from the quarterback, but it was encouraging.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Midseason grade: D
Optimism was high after bringing in Pete Carroll and making Chip Kelly the league’s highest-paid offensive coordinator. But the Raiders have lost five of their last six games, and now they’re finding ways to lose even when tight end Brock...
