The Raiders are of the storied NFL franchises and for two decades the Davis family has been making every effort to return the Silver & Black to greatness.
The Raiders won Super Bowls in 1977, 1981, and 1984, and those were the glory days of the organization.
Unfortunately, for the team and the fans, the franchise is long removed from the glory days. Since 2003, and their last Super Bowl appearance, the Raiders have only made the playoffs twice and haven’t won a playoff game since their 2003 run to the Super Bowl.
Now, after the years of mediocrity, the Raiders are finally (hopefully0 making serious moves to make the team competitive again.
NFL Power Rankings – Las Vegas Raiders
Early predictions don’t mean a lot, but most major news outlets are picking the Raiders finish in the bottom third of the league in terms of standings and recent history doesn’t do them any favors. If you were to bet on Stake on the Raiders winning the Super Bowl, the odds are 100-1. The odds on them making the playoffs are set at +340, and that’s not good either.
At the end of the day the Raiders are a franchise with 2 playoff wins over the last 22 seasons, achieved by no less than 13 head coaches.
Now, all eyes are on their 14th choice in Pete Carroll. When the season begins, Carroll is going to be the oldest head coach in NFL history.
Carroll was one of the masterminds of one of the best defenses in league history, but in Las Vegas he won’t have the talent on defense that he had in Seattle.
Maxx Crosby is one of the best players in the league, and even more than a dominant DE. He is a piece to build around.
If the Raiders are looking to bring back their old school grit, Crosby will need to spearhead those efforts.
On the offensive side of the ball, all eyes will be on second-year sensation Brock Bowers who is coming way from the best rookie season for a tight end in league history. The Raiders also seemed to have pulled off an encouraging draft.
A star in the making, even before taking his first NFL snap is Ashton Jeanty. The former Boise State running back has all the makings of a future superstar and the team will need him to play at a Pro Bowl level right out of the gate.
Jack Bech and Darien Porter and also players that could make an immediate impact at wide receiver and cornerback, respectively.
Raiders Grit vs. AFC West
The AFC West is the most difficult division in the NFL.
For the last nine years, the division has been owned by the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos are now on the upswing.
Last year, the AFC West sent three teams to the playoffs and the Chargers and Broncos both appear to have young franchise quarterbacks.
With Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert paired up in Los Angeles, the Chargers have been on the of popular offseason teams to bet on in the NFL. It’s not too early to bet on NFL games, and the Chargers have been given the second-highest odds (behind the Chiefs) by most outlets to win the AFC West.
While Chiefs and Chargers have established QB and head coach relationships, Payton and Bo Nix in Denver might also be onto something great.
Nix had an amazing rookie season, and Payton reminded everyone in 2024 that he is still one of the best offensive minds in professional football.
The Raiders are hopeful that veteran quarterback Geno Smith can have a late-career resurgence similar to Rich Gannon 25 years ago, but the journeyman QB still has a lot to prove.
The situation in Las Vegas, though, might be exactly what he needs. Smith has been reunited with Carroll and the offense will be catered to his strengths now that he’s away from the Seahawks.
Can Raiders Be Better in 2025?
Yes. They have to be.
Will it be enough to reach the playoffs?
Betting odds all over say they won’t, but the vibe in the Raiders’ building hasn’t been consistent with that as training camp begins in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Carroll is on record saying he intends to win right away, but it’s going to be an uphill climb to win in his first season with so many changes in the building over the last seven months.
Prediction: 7 wins on the season, but a promising future should be in the cards, especially if the Raiders traded for a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback in Geno Smith.
I am 62 years old, and I truly missed the old Raiders of the 70s, 80s, that’s when it was real football. Man These guys can’t even play with a broken finger are ridiculous. I want to get back to the old waves, maybe adjust things a little bit because we don’t need all these flags, even don’t be on the flags back in the day. But still men just to win those game.
Make no mistake about this your comment that the Raiders (Mark Davis) has been trying to bring this franchise back to its winning ways is a complete falsity. Mark Davis has continued to make horrible decisions not once based upon bringing them back to yester-year.
What Mark Davis has been consistent at is guaranteeing they have been one of if not the most dysfunctional franchises and has permanently tarnished the greatness of a once great franchise. Al Davis’ legacy has taken a huge hit and quite possibly this organization will become the worst in the league.
How often do we see a new head coach and staff come onto team after posting losing records and immediately produce wins? It happens every year with at least one sometimes several teams. It is no coincidence that it has not happened for our Raiders. When Gruden was here all our fans did was give him excuses every year thinking well one more win from previous year meant improvement going into year four (4).
That is the epitome of dysfunction and exactly why we have been unable to succeed. It starts with our having the worst owner in the history of this league. And that is not even close. Look at how many previous coaches are still on the team’s payroll. Ridiculous. I truly mean this when I say if I were to have been coach of this team at any point in time with anywhere close to the authority Gruden’s undeserving a** possessed this franchise would have produced success.
Even now look at the areas of weakness the team has. Our offensive line needs more, our linebackers need more, our secondary needs more, and while I am like all fans wanting them to have a great season I will not be surprised if this becomes just like all the prior seasons going back decades where our preseason hopes and dreams are stolen away from us early and often.
We are becoming known as a place where great players come to suffer and waste away. We take talent and greatness and turn it into heartache and misery. We sign players around the league to huge contracts only to watch them not produce then s**t on the players that have been here by not rewarding them for their hard efforts and dedication.
We are a joke and until something more drastic occurs such as Mark Davis selling the team we may dwell in the lowly place we have for much longer. And throwing in an “ok” season of making the playoffs and losing first game every so often will not change the outlook.
Brutal schedule and division. If they get Wilkins back and stay healthy maybe 8.