Sportsnaut
The NFL released its full 2025 season schedule on Wednesday. We knew the Las Vegas Raiders’ opponents; now, you can mark the dates and make travel plans.
The Raiders have a manageable schedule, allowing them to rack up wins in the first half of the season before facing tougher opponents from late November through December.
The league will showcase the Silver and Black in three prime-time contests, including two Monday Night Football games at Allegiant Stadium. Fans will get a national introduction to rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and a re-introduction to Geno Smith in a new uniform.
This offseason, the Raiders acquired Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, reuniting him with his former head coach, Pete Carroll. Carroll hired Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator, who is coming off a national title run with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Here are week-by-week win-loss projections for the Raiders’ 2025 season.
Las Vegas opens the season on the road for the fourth consecutive year. The Raiders started their last three campaigns against division opponents, but this year, they face the New England Patriots, led by new head coach Mike Vrabel, who hired former Raiders lead skipper Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator. With the Tom Brady storyline baked in, this matchup promises entertainment.
The Raiders will benefit from facing second-year quarterback Drake Maye early in the season with a healthy defensive front featuring Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins (assuming he fully recovers from a foot injury), and Malcolm Koonce — three players who missed significant time last season.
Raiders go on the road to spoil Vrabel’s return to the sideline in New England.
Record: 1-0
The NFL showcases the Raiders-Chargers AFC West rivalry in the second game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. Las Vegas went 0-6 in the division last year, and snapping that AFC West losing streak will be challenging in this matchup.
The Chargers maintain significant continuity from last year, while the Raiders field a new-look secondary with two fresh starting safeties, Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao. Jakorian Bennett remains the only probable returning starting cornerback. Quarterbacks Smith and Justin Herbert could stage an early September duel, but the Chargers score on the final possession.
Record: 1-1
Raiders head back on the road to face last season’s biggest surprise team. Coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance, the Commanders now carry Super Bowl aspirations. Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, has a new bodyguard in five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and a new target in Deebo Samuel.
Smith should move the ball effectively against Washington’s lackluster pass rush after losing 2024 sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. Jeanty could make his first strong impression in this matchup.
Still, Daniels finds victory by targeting the Raiders’ linebackers in coverage. Tight end Zach Ertz...
