Can Raiders turn things around? How Las Vegas got to 2-5, and what to make of it at the bye

HENDERSON, Nev. -- A harsh reality kicked in for the Las Vegas Raiders -- perhaps in the worst way.

Facing the Kansas City Chiefs on the road last week, they were outclassed on both sides of the ball and lost 31-0. Offensively, Las Vegas failed to touch the red zone and had just 95 total yards. And Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in MVP form, toying with the Raiders' defense so much that he used his acting skills to fool them on a creative fourth-and-1 playcall.

The season began with hope that progress would be made under coach Pete Carroll, a Super Bowl champion who has a strong track record for program building. Las Vegas, however, is still searching for answers on how to turn its season around.

"I'm surprised that we're not farther along than we are," said Carroll, a day after the blowout loss to the Chiefs. "I anticipated being farther along and cleaner with our game."

At the bye week, the Raiders are 2-5 and sitting at the bottom of the AFC West. They've lost five of their past six games and have a 3% chance of making the postseason, according to ESPN Analytics. Carroll has started 2-5 or worse previously just twice (2011 and 2021) in his head coaching career, per ESPN Research. In those seasons, he finished 7-9 and 7-10, respectively, as the coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

Las Vegas' performance has been far below Carroll's expectations. He took on the job hoping that the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith, drafting running back Ashton Jeanty and his previous experience gained from successful seasons with Seattle and USC would be enough to make the Raiders immediate playoff contenders.

The Raiders' Week 1 20-13 win over the New England Patriots, in which Smith threw for 362 yards and the defense allowed three points in the second half, provided optimism. They've been a shell of that team, lacking the explosiveness that fueled a strong second-half performance ever since.

"Everybody knows we are not where we want to be," wide receiver Tre Tucker said. "I think they have all the makings to be where we want to be. But obviously we're not."

Granted, Carroll didn't expect Smith -- one of the most accurate passers in the league from 2022-2024 -- to be tied for the most interceptions in the league (10). And he didn't anticipate injuries to starters Brock Bowers (knee), Kolton Miller (ankle) and most recently Maxx Crosby (knee).

"I just hope we get our guys back so that we can utilize those guys to make our offense whole," Carroll said. "And without Maxx, the defense was different, too. And so that's just the way I see it. I can't deny saying that."

At the same time, injuries are just one part of the problem. The Raiders' offense, orchestrated by coordinator Chip Kelly, has lacked continuity. Last season, the Raiders ranked 28th in points per game (17.8), 27th in total yards per game (303.2) and 31st in EPA (minus-94.20).

Through seven games in 2025, Las Vegas still ranks near the bottom in almost every major offensive category. The Raiders are 31st in points (14.71) and have scored fewer than 10 points on three occasions. They are also 28th in total yards (276.4) and 30th in EPA (minus-46.13).

Carroll said he's still searching for more balance on offense. There have been moments when the rushing attack has been effective. And moments when the Raiders were able to push the ball through the air. Both aspects have yet to be efficient simultaneously.

"It's a new offense, a new guy at [quarterback], new playcaller, [and] new head coach," wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said. "I think anytime you invest in something, it probably won't go [great] right away. You're going to take a little hit, and you just hope that it's a good product, and you keep moving up in the long run."

"... Every organization is different. I can't necessarily tell you how long it'll take us. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later."

The defense has had its fair share of issues, as well. The Raiders have been effective against the run, ranking 10th in yards per attempt (4). But there have been inconsistencies in the pass game.

Outside of the second half against the Patriots and the unit's six-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, Las Vegas has had a hard time getting after the quarterback.

The Raiders have totaled 15 sacks (tied for 14th) but have 71 pressures (23rd) and a pressure rate of 26.5% (30th).

Las Vegas has had coverage issues. Its linebackers have been a liability in coverage, while second-year cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks. He has given up 27 catches for 423 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 113.5 on 42 targets as the nearest defender.

Those problems in the passing game have gone hand-in-hand with their inability to get off the field on third down. Las Vegas has allowed a third-down conversion rate of 44.9%. The Chiefs were 9-of-15 on third down last week.

"[We're] hungry, looking for answers," safety Jeremy Chinn said. "I don't think there's anybody worried negatively. Guys are looking at ourselves in the mirror and trying to figure out what we can do differently."

Carroll might've underestimated the challenge of rebuilding the Raiders, who have finished with a losing record in seven of the past 10 seasons. But the structure of the roster always suggested that it wouldn't be easy.

With the Raiders relying on young players at key positions, some of whom haven't developed as quickly as anticipated, it was evident that the ship would tilt if major contributors had to miss time.

"There's some pain in there that we have to undergo. But it's how you do it," Carroll said. "By the time you get to the middle of the season, these guys should have things really cleaned up."