The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 season has officially hit rock bottom. What was once a team with playoff aspirations is now spiraling into irrelevance after a humiliating performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. As Week 8 arrives, the Raiders limp into their bye week at 2-5, facing hard questions about coaching, leadership, and the future of their roster.
The loss in Kansas City wasn’t just another defeat — it was a wake-up call. The Raiders were utterly dominated from start to finish, looking lost on both sides of the ball. The 31-3 blowout was one of the most lopsided and uninspired performances in recent franchise history, and that’s saying something for a team that has seen its fair share of low points over the last two decades.
A Season Unraveling Fast
The 2025 Raiders have been many things — inconsistent, underachieving, and, perhaps most painfully, predictable. Through seven games, the team’s identity has become synonymous with disappointment. Four of their five losses have come by at least two possessions, and three of those were blowouts of 17 points or more.
The Week 1 win against the New England Patriots, which once seemed like a promising start, now feels like a distant memory. Since then, the Raiders have been on a downward slide that no one in Las Vegas can seem to stop.
Bleacher Report summed it up best — the Raiders aren’t just losing, they’re failing to even compete. The lack of energy, creativity, and execution has left fans and analysts wondering whether this team has already checked out before the season’s midpoint.
A Historically Bad Showing in Kansas City
When Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr said, “The Raiders ran 30 plays on Sunday. Thirty. Plays,” he wasn’t exaggerating for effect. That shocking statistic tells the entire story. Las Vegas managed just 30 offensive plays against Kansas City — a figure almost unheard of in modern football. For comparison, the Chiefs ran nearly 70.
It was an offensive disaster. The Raiders couldn’t move the ball, couldn’t protect their quarterback, and couldn’t convert a single meaningful drive. Geno Smith, brought in to stabilize the offense under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, looked out of rhythm all afternoon. His stat line — under 100 passing yards with no touchdowns — mirrored the offense’s lifelessness.
The Chiefs didn’t just win; they exposed every flaw in Las Vegas’s system. Kansas City’s defense, while solid, isn’t historically dominant — yet the Raiders made them look like the 2000 Ravens.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm summed up the fiasco perfectly: “You don’t just bury the game tape. You first burn it with fire, and then douse it with sulfuric acid.” The quote might sound harsh, but it captures the frustration of Raider Nation watching their team stumble week after week with no apparent progress.
Even more concerning, the Raiders allowed 31 points while running just 30 plays. The defense was left on the field for nearly three-quarters of the game, and by the second half, fatigue was evident.
Injuries and Questionable Decisions Compound the Problem
The Raiders’ offensive ineptitude can’t be blamed solely on injuries, but they’ve certainly played a part. Tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers — two of Geno Smith’s most reliable targets — were sidelined against the Chiefs. That left the offense thin and lacking explosiveness.
Still, coaching decisions made things worse. Running back Ashton Jeanty, arguably the team’s most dynamic playmaker, touched the ball just seven times all game — and only once in the first 20 minutes. Despite being one of the few bright spots in an otherwise anemic offense, Jeanty was inexplicably underused.
It’s a pattern that’s becoming far too common in Las Vegas. Kelly’s fast-paced, college-style offensive system has struggled to translate to the NFL, and his reluctance to adapt has frustrated players and fans alike. For a coordinator who was made the highest-paid assistant in football, the results have been nothing short of disastrous.
A Defense Trying to Survive
On the other side of the ball, the defense isn’t faring much better — but it’s not for lack of effort. With the offense failing to sustain drives, defensive players are spending nearly two-thirds of every game on the field.
The one shining light has been defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, a seventh-round pick who has emerged as one of the team’s most productive defenders. Laulu is tied for the team lead with four sacks, along with 14 pressures and six quarterback hits this season. When he’s on the field, opponents average just 3.1 yards per carry, a testament to his power and technique in the trenches.
Head coach Pete Carroll praised Laulu’s intensity, saying, “It’s not just size, weight, speed. It’s his heart. The intensity that he plays with is tremendous.”
Unfortunately, Laulu’s effort hasn’t been enough to mask the larger defensive issues. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby remains one of the best in the league, but even he’s been slowed by injuries and lack of support. His recent injury scare against Kansas City only deepened concerns.
Without consistent pressure from the defensive front, opposing quarterbacks are picking apart Las Vegas’s secondary with ease. The Chiefs, for instance, converted 11 of 14 third downs, sustaining drives that drained the Raiders’ defense of any remaining energy.
Coaching Carousel Looming Again?
The Raiders’ coaching situation is once again under scrutiny. Chip Kelly, who was brought in to modernize the offense, is already on the hot seat. Geno Smith’s regression and the team’s lack of rhythm suggest a total disconnect between the system and its personnel.
If the struggles continue, both Kelly and Smith might not survive beyond this season. That would make them the fifth offensive coordinator and fifth Week 1 starting quarterback since the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020. The instability has become a defining feature of the franchise — and one of the main reasons for its sustained mediocrity.
The Athletic’s writers, Josh Kendall and Chad Graff, summarized it bluntly: “Reality check: They’re in free fall.” The offense is in disarray, and the defense, though occasionally competent, can’t carry a team that fails to score points.
Where Do the Raiders Go From Here?
The bye week comes at a crucial time. It offers the Raiders a rare chance to reset and re-evaluate — not just their schemes, but their direction as a franchise.
At 2-5, the postseason is a long shot, but the bigger concern is whether this roster can even stay competitive down the stretch. With a difficult second-half schedule that includes matchups against the Ravens, Dolphins, and 49ers, the possibility of finishing with double-digit losses is becoming increasingly real.
The organization must now decide what kind of rebuild they’re willing to commit to. Will they give Kelly and Smith more time to develop chemistry? Or will they hit the reset button — again — and start fresh in 2026 with new leadership?
Fans are growing restless. The excitement that once surrounded the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas has faded, replaced by frustration and apathy. Allegiant Stadium, once a symbol of new beginnings, is becoming a stage for visiting teams’ celebrations.
A Glimmer of Hope Amid the Gloom
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Players like Laulu, Jeanty, and rookie wideout Jack Bech have shown flashes of potential. These young talents could form the core of the next era in Raiders football — if the franchise can finally build some consistency around them.
But for now, the Raiders are who their record says they are: a team struggling for identity, direction, and relevance in a competitive AFC.
As Week 8’s bye approaches, Las Vegas isn’t just facing a lost season — it’s facing an existential crisis. The once-proud Silver and Black are no longer feared, no longer formidable, and, perhaps worst of all, no longer relevant.
If the Raiders want to reclaim their swagger and respect, it starts with accountability. The next few weeks will determine whether this franchise can still fight — or if it’s time to accept that, for now, irrelevance has become their new normal.