Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
The Raiders’ bye week appears to have done wonders for quarterback Geno Smith—at least mentally. The 35-year-old veteran’s frustration became evident amid Las Vegas’ 2-5 season start, a stretch marked by the league’s second-worst point differential as the Raiders were outscored by an average of 11 points per game.
His own accountability dipped as the losses piled up, with Smith bemoaning bad luck for his league-leading 10 interceptions and blaming youth for the overall offensive underperformance. But Smith spoke much more positively and came off refreshed Wednesday afternoon when he had his first news conference in 10 days at the team’s Henderson headquarters.
The 13-year NFL veteran reasserted his commitment to transforming the Raiders into a winner. “It starts with me,” Smith said of sparking the offense. “It starts with me getting the ball out of my hands and playing efficiently, playing the right way.”
Smith’s realization is essential if there’s any chance of the Raiders restoring respectability over the final 10 games of the season, beginning at 1:05 p.m. Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) at Allegiant Stadium. Making a run toward playoff contention is probably out of the question given how far behind the Raiders have appeared, but instilling some of the winning culture Smith and coach Pete Carroll have preached is a worthwhile goal.
There hasn’t been much evidence of it so far, and the reasons cited for a season gone south after Carroll once all but guaranteed double-digit victories for the Raiders are plentiful.
Injuries haven’t helped, as the Raiders’ three best players—edge rusher Maxx Crosby, tight end Brock Bowers, and left tackle Kolton Miller—all were out by the end of an embarrassing 31-0 loss to the archrival Chiefs before the bye.
Carroll and his staff have looked outmatched, directly contradicting the promise the group had coming into the season. The offensive line and defensive backfield have been among the worst in the league at their respective positions.
But the biggest culprit for the Raiders’ poor start is the play from the quarterback whom Carroll and new general manager John Spytek decided to pin their hopes on to start their tenures.
After the Raiders restructured his contract to allow for a bigger bonus with a smaller cap hit, Smith ranks as the NFL’s sixth highest-paid player with a $40 million salary this season, per Spotrac.
Smith has responded by being the No. 32 ranked quarterback in the league by expected points added (EPA) per play among those who have taken 100 snaps, according to Sumer Sports. He’s only ahead of benched Bengals backup Jake Browning, and a pair of rookies in the Titans’ Cam Ward and the Browns’ Dillon Gabriel.
“It’s not going the way everybody wants it to,” rookie running back Ashton Jeanty said when asked if he’s tried to encourage Smith. “It hasn’t been positive for us so far, but we’ve just got to stick together and keep talking each other up. Stay positive.”
The way the Raiders handled their quarterback need this offseason looks like an even bigger mistake with one short glance around the league. They not only showered Smith with cash—albeit wisely with only a two-year extension that contains an out after next season—but they gave up a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire him.
Seattle responded by signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract, a longer-term pact than Smith’s but for about $7 million annually less.
Darnold sits sixth in the NFL in EPA per play this season, coming off a year where he led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season—four more victories than Smith had ever notched in a regular season.
At 28 years old, Darnold fit better with the Raiders’ timeline-wise as they likely needed a couple years to build into a contender.
But minority owner Tom Brady didn’t want to pursue Darnold, according to a report by The Athletic, and Carroll was smitten with the idea of a Smith reunion after coaching him for five years in Seattle.
Drafting a rookie quarterback to develop would have made even more sense, and the Raiders did their scouting diligence but apparently didn’t like any of the options.
That’s also looking like a mistake with the Giants’ Jaxson Dart now an odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year despite playing with an underwhelming and injury-riddled supporting cast of skill players.
Las Vegas could have snagged any quarterback other than Ward, who went No. 1 overall—either at No. 6 where it selected Jeanty or by trading back into the bottom of the first round.
The 22-year-old Dart became the second passer picked at No. 25. He ranks No. 17 in EPA per play through five starts despite having faced a tougher slate of opposing defenses and with fewer weapons than the Raiders.
At the most important position in football, the Seahawks and Giants have developed hope for the future while it looks like the Raiders are stuck with a depreciating asset.
That’s not the way Carroll sees it, naturally. He’s continued to express confidence in Smith and brushed back suggestions of turning to backup Kenny Pickett.
The coach has noticed Smith’s frustration but said he saw the quarterback “coming out of it” and “turning the corner” during the bye.
“He’s as competitive as ever,” Carroll said. “He’s raring to go. He’s frustrated because we want to win, and we want to play big and all that. That’s going to always hold him connected to that thought. But he’s ready to go, and we need to build it up around him. He can’t do all of it by himself. He needs the help, he needs the guys to go to and the guys to come through for him, the protection to be there for him, so that he can play his position.”
The offensive line in front of Smith has been bad, but it hasn’t been that bad strictly from a pass-protection standpoint. Run blocking has been a bigger issue, as the Raiders rank No. 21 in the NFL in pass protection per Pro Football Focus and No. 23 in adjusted sack rate.
There are quarterbacks around the league getting less time to throw than Smith and doing a lot more with it, including Dart, who visited the Raiders’ facility as part of the team’s pre-draft top 30 visits in April.
Smith navigating the pressure more smoothly, settling down, taking better care of the ball, and showing progress over the second half of the season isn’t out of the question.
This is a player, after all, whose NFL career might always be best remembered for bouncing back when few believed it was possible.
Smith spent seven consecutive years as a backup before winning the Seahawks’ starting job in training camp before the 2022 season, when he led the team to the playoffs and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
But his play has never reached those heights again, even though he’s continued to be known for his ability to rally through adversity and display mental fortitude.
Smith has shown signs that he’s still sharp in that department after the longest break of the season. Now it’s time to see if it translates on the field.
“We’re still learning each other, and now it’s that point of the season where you start to either get better or get worse,” Smith said. “So, we’re going to get better as a team, and I’m really excited about that.”
http://lasvegassun.com//news/2025/nov/01/raiders-made-costly-mistake-at-quarterback-unless/
