The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to put together a better season in 2025, but does that mean a playoff berth. Well, in the eyes of one expert, it does.
Raiders record predictions: One expert has Las Vegas making the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Las Vegas Raiders turned the page to a new era in 2025 and that is no doubt a cause for optimism this coming season.
Las Vegas hired a new head coach in Pete Carroll and addressed their biggest issue at quarterback, where Geno Smith takes over for the lackluster duo of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.
Most experts agree that the Raiders should be better in 2025, if for no other reason than the upgrades at head coach and quarterback, but that isn't exactly a tough bar to clear after Las Vegas won just four games in 2024.
Following preseason Week 2, some experts have begun putting out their predictions for each team. In our round-up below, every expert has the Raiders improving upon their four-win season, with one of them even predicting the Raiders to make the playoffs, which would be a huge step in the right direction.
Las Vegas Raiders record predictions
NFL.com
Ali Bhanpuri: 8-9 (4th in AFC West)
Adam Rank: 10-7 (3rd in AFC West, No. 7 seed)
What they're saying: "I am finding it very difficult not to be swept up in Pete Carroll's enthusiasm and expectations for this team. Maybe I'm delusional, but to me, the Pete Carroll-Geno Smith-Maxx Crosby trio will never quit, and that chip-on-their-shoulder relentlessness should serve the club well in the NFL's toughest division -- especially when the late-season grind sets in."
NFL Spin Zone
Lou Scataglia: 5-12 (4th in AFC West)
What he's saying: "The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be better on paper than they were in 2024, but the duo of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith isn't going to be enough to make much progress in the AFC West. The rest of the roster is average at best. There are massive concerns along the offensive line and all over the defense. The Raiders could be a lot better in 2026, but 2025 is a lost cause for this franchise."
Sports Illustrated
Conor Orr: 8-9 (4th in AFC West)
What he's saying: "The Raiders are going to be frisky in 2025, winning some games they should not (hello, Chip Kelly Bowl in Philadelphia in Week 15) and losing some games they should not (hello, loss to the Colts in Indianapolis in Week 5). It’s always impossible to predict the boost a team gets from a new coach and GM. Still, it’s important to remember that last year this relatively poor roster came super close to beating the Rams and Chiefs twice, in addition to logging an early-season win over the Ravens. If the Raiders can develop a running game with Ashton Jeanty, that can make the team, at the very least, powerful enough to control the clock and prevent an offense from doing something incredibly deleterious that hands a victory away."
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Category: Football
