Sportsnaut
At 1-4, the Las Vegas Raiders must find positive momentum, or they could be on track for another four-win season. It starts with Sunday’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Head coach Pete Carroll admitted this week that the turnaround will take longer than expected, and he’s preached patience.
#Raiders coach Pete Carroll asked if this turnaround is going to take longer than he expected
"Yeah, much longer than I expected it to be…I feel like there's no doubt that it's going to, we just gotta get it right"
— Jesse Merrick – Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) October 6, 2025
If Carroll truly believes that, he needs to allow more rookies and developmental players to take prominent roles for the sake of the team’s future.
One rookie in particular could see a promotion on defense after a solid showing last week.
In the matchup against the Titans, two key starters could capitalize on weaknesses on both sides of the ball.
Here are three predictions for Week 6.
The Raiders must reopen the competition on the boundary in the secondary. Carroll entered the season intending to rotate players opposite Eric Stokes, but Kyu Blu Kelly played 100% of the snaps in weeks 1, 4 and 5.
In the season opener against the New England Patriots, Kelly played well aside from a controversial pass interference call. But over the last few weeks, opposing quarterbacks have picked on him. He’s giving up about 69 receiving yards per game and 17 yards per reception, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Because Stokes missed the previous game with a knee sprain, the Raiders didn’t have the depth to bench Kelly, who gave up 90 yards on just four receptions, per PFF.
On Wednesday, Stokes went through a limited practice, which may signal he’ll return Sunday. If so, Darien Porter should line up opposite him instead of Kelly.
Porter served in a backup role until last week, when he played 100% of the defensive snaps. In that outing, the Indianapolis Colts targeted him three times, and he allowed one reception for nine yards, per PFF.
While Porter’s sample size is too small to make a strong judgment about his development, the coaching staff must allow him to gain experience. He possesses far more upside than Kelly. The Raiders can see what the third-round rookie can do against the Titans’ 32nd-ranked passing attack.
Even though Maxx Crosby is tied with Myles Garrett for a league-leading eight tackles for loss and drops into coverage more than many expected, critics have pointed to his low sack count (two) as reason to be disappointed in his play through five weeks.
Crosby has done a bit of everything this season. He’s forced fumbles, tipped several passes at the line of scrimmage and logged his first career interception. The four-time Pro Bowler is also tied for 17th in...
