The Raiders got a badly needed win Sunday, and Geno Smith had a hand in making sure it happened.
Las Vegas looked like it was headed for another shootout loss before Smith fired a huge ball into the end zone that Jeremy Chinn picked off with a toe-tap catch. That sequence handed the Silver and Black a victory and gave Raider Nation a rare reason to exhale.
But the bigger conversation around this team is still about what comes next, and Ashton Jeanty is suddenly right in the middle of it.
In just 18 months, Jeanty has gone from a top-10 pick and featured back to a third-down role behind a rookie fourth-round pick. That alone is jarring. What makes it worse for Jeanty is that the move may actually make sense.
Mike Washington Jr. did not exactly light up the box score in his first start, but there was a clear difference in the offense with him in the role. The Raiders’ run game is still going to have a hard time until the offensive line gets fixed, but Washington’s size, power and downhill style at least raise the floor on each carry.
Jeanty may still be the better back overall. Right now, though, he is not the better fit, and more importantly, he is not the better fit in Las Vegas.
If Washington keeps the lead job, the Raiders will have a tough offseason decision on their hands. Jeanty is still young, and he has shown enough to make another team think about offering a second- or third-round pick for him.
That would be a real option if he is only going to be the No. 2 back and is not likely to sign a second contract. It would also mean the Raiders’ top-10 pick went sideways in a major way.
That is where this appears to be headed, even if it means cutting losses.
The short-yardage issues are not helping the offense either.
Klint Kubiak has tried to protect his 38-year-old quarterback by getting inventive near the goal line and on third-and-short. His answer has been to line up fullback Connor Heyward under center and run the Eagles’ signature “Tush Push” with Kirk Cousins stationed deep in the backfield.
On paper, it sounds clever. On the field, it has gone nowhere. The Raiders have been stuffed the last several times they have tried it.
There are obvious reasons why. The offensive line has not been good enough.
Tyler Linderbaum also has to handle a snap to a less familiar target, which pulls his attention away from blocking. And with Cousins still on the field but not actually involved, the Raiders are effectively playing with one fewer weapon.
It also gives the defense less to worry about.
Cousins, for what it’s worth, was able to run quarterback sneaks behind the same offensive line, and he did it without getting hurt. Kubiak needs to stop getting cute in those situations and go back to the play that has worked for decades.
The defense has its own problems, and they are getting harder to ignore.
The Raiders allowed 166 rushing yards to a Jets offense that did not have Breece Hall. They also let Geno Smith carve them up through the air while he had all day to throw.
Earlier struggles could at least be explained by the quality of the opponent. This time, the Raiders were bullied by the Jets, and that makes the issue impossible to dodge.
Outside of Maxx Crosby, the defensive line just is not good enough.
On the edge, Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce have been close to non-factors on a down-to-down basis. They have made a couple of splash plays, but they are not consistently winning, especially against the run.
The interior is even shakier. Adam Butler is past his prime, Tonka Hemingway is still trying to find his footing in his second season, and the rest of the group would likely have a hard time making many 53-man rosters around the league.
There may not be much the Raiders can do about it during the season, but fixing the defensive line has to be one of the biggest priorities this offseason.
In Other News...
Mark Davis Just Weighed In On The Raiders QB Tension
The Raiders quarterback picture has a little more clarity from the top, even if the timetable still feels fluid. In a CNBC interview, owner Mark Davis said he does not feel any pressure to rush rookie Fernando Mendoza onto the field this season, a notable stance for a team trying to balance development with stability at the games most important position.
Davis also framed Kirk Cousins as the kind of veteran presence that can help bridge the gap while Mendoza keeps learning the professional game. He said the rookie is progressing well, but there is no need to force the issue right away, which leaves the Raiders with a patient approach for now and a bigger question still hanging over when the next chapter actually begins. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Brutal Maxx Crosby Decision As Deadline Nears
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, the Raiders are staring at one of the toughest roster calls they could face. Maxx Crosby is not asking out, and the expectation around the league is still that Las Vegas will keep its All-Pro edge rusher, but the phone lines figure to stay busy after a recent trade involving Jeffery Simmons helped push Crosbys market higher.
The challenge for the Raiders is obvious: Crosby remains central to what they do, especially with the current state of the defensive line, yet his value could be at its peak if the team ever decided to listen. Even with the possibility of significant offers coming in, Las Vegas would have to weigh the immediate hit to its defense against the kind of return it would demand to even consider moving one of the franchises most important players. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans Just Got A New Reminder Of Al Davis Legacy
Christian Bale is helping bring one of the most influential figures in Raiders history back into the spotlight. Speaking on ESPNs SportsCenter, Bale discussed his role in David O. Russells upcoming movie Madden and described Al Davis as a complicated force who rose through the organization and left a lasting imprint on the Raiders and the NFL.
For Raiders fans, the timing makes the reminder feel especially relevant, with the film set to arrive during the 2026 NFL season. Bale also pointed to Davis once a Raider, always a Raider mindset, along with his civil rights record and broader impact on the league, underscoring why Davis remains such a central part of the franchises identity. [Read more 🡒]