Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t won a game since taking down the New England Patriots in the season opener. Last Sunday’s blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts means the Raiders haven’t had a ‘W’ in four weeks, and it feels like the team has more question marks right now than it did at the beginning of the campaign. As a result, the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings have Las Vegas as cellar dwellers across the board.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 25
There’s no reason to sugarcoat it: The Las Vegas Raiders are not good. Geno Smith can’t stop turning the ball over, Chip Kelly refuses to lean on his first-round running back, and the offensive line struggled significantly. Earlier in the year, though, Las Vegas’ defensive front at least brought some pride to the field. On Sunday, even that group looked listless. If Pete Carroll and his staff actually have a plan for building this team, it must not involve much winning in 2025. — Kristopher Knox
Knox touches on part of the problem with his last sentence. Carroll talked about how he wants to win now and has a long track record of 10-win seasons all offseason. But the roster needed work, and the organization operated as if the team could win while rebuilding. The Raiders let the majority of their free agents walk, replaced them with bargain bin options and then drafted several project prospects, all while trading for a quarterback who wasn’t a long-term solution. Now, it feels like the new regime is facing the reality that a full rebuild is necessary.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 25
Fantasy surprise: TE Brock Bowers
Bowers was meant to be the focal point of the Raiders’ passing game, starting the season at No. 1 in ESPN Fantasy’s preseason projections. Instead, a knee injury has prevented him from playing at full strength, and that has reflected in his numbers. After averaging 20.9 yards per catch in the season opener, Bowers averaged 8.7 yards per catch and less than 10 fantasy points per game from Weeks 2 through 4. He did not play against the Colts, and coach Pete Carroll said the All-Pro tight end is day-to-day. — Ryan McFadden
Adding to McFadden’s analysis, Bowers ranked second among tight ends with 3.96 yards per route run in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus. After suffering the knee injury, he’s down to 1.36 and 21st in Weeks 2 through 4. The offense clearly needs its No. 1 option in the passing game to get back to 100 percent.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Who have they beaten? Patriots
Optimism reigned after their season-opening win in New England, but four losses in a row have followed. In those four games, the Raiders rank 30th in EPA per play offensively and...
