Total Pro Sports
The Las Vegas Raiders schedule for 2025 is one of the hardest, and it’s not just because of their slate of opponents.
Pete Carroll and the new-look Raiders play in the unforgiving AFC West division that sent three teams to the postseason last year (Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers). They also have to play the reigning AFC South champion Houston Texans and a tricky NFC West that features the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and NFC runner-up Washington Commanders.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis did a deep dive into the 2025 Raiders schedule and found several more issues that show how the NFL really screwed them.
As Sharp pointed out, the construction of the 2025 Raiders schedule leaves them with minus-19 “net rest days.” They have five early afternoon road games (1:00 p.m. EST) and two ‘Monday Night Football’ contests, meaning two shortened weeks between games:
“Doesn’t seem like the NFL cared too much about schedule equality when it came to the 2025 Raiders. The Raiders have five “net” games with a rest disadvantage (six with a disadvantage, one with an advantage).
Only one other team in NFL history has played more games in a season with a net rest disadvantage, and that was the 2024 49ers. So the Raiders rank tied for second-worst in NFL history with five “net” games at a rest disadvantage.”
No team got hit harder by the 2025 NFL schedule than the Raiders:
– Fewest rest edge games (1)
– Most rest disadvantage games (6)
– Net -19 days of rest (worst in NFL)Early road games. Short weeks. Brutal setup.
🔗 https://t.co/djfn8MRorx pic.twitter.com/cSyVFA82a6
— Sharp Football Analysis (@SharpFBAnalysis) May 19, 2025
Another interesting note by Sharp: When the Raiders host the Chargers in Week 2, Justin Herbert and company will have had an extended rest, since they’re playing the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 (a Friday) in Brazil.
The Raiders visit the Washington Commanders in Week 3, and Jayden Daniels’ group will have enjoyed a “mini bye” as well, since they’re visiting the Green Bay Packers on ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 2.
If the Raiders are to avoid an ugly first half that could take them out of playoff contention, they’ll have to take advantage of a weaker set of opponents between Weeks 4 and 9.
They’ll host the much-improved Chicago Bears in Week 4, but home advantage could be the difference there. Vegas will visit the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in consecutive weeks after that, and both teams figure to be near the bottom of the AFC Standings this year.
A Week 7 road game against the Chiefs is challenging, but they’ll enter a bye week before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. Going 4-1 in that stretch to keep their playoff hopes alive is certainly not out of the question.
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