The Las Vegas Raiders are in full-blown freefall. At 2-12 with just three games left in the 2025 season, the record doesn’t just tell the story - it screams it.
The team has been plagued by instability, underperformance, and coaching turnover. Head coach Pete Carroll has already fired two coordinators, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham - a holdover from previous regimes - is the last man standing.
Now, to be fair, the defense hasn’t been the biggest disaster in Vegas this year. But that’s a bit like saying the kitchen isn’t on fire when the rest of the house is burning down. The defense has had its moments, but it’s far from blameless - especially when you look at the way it’s been trending under Carroll’s influence.
Let’s start with the basics. The Raiders’ defense has always leaned toward a “bend, don’t break” philosophy under Graham.
But this season, it’s been more bend and break - often at the worst possible times. The Cover 3-heavy scheme Carroll prefers has made the unit feel stuck in a time warp, and it’s showing up in the results.
Opposing offenses are stringing together long, demoralizing drives, and the Raiders’ defense just hasn’t had enough answers.
Sunday’s 31-0 shutout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a new low. FOX Sports analyst and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen didn’t hold back during the broadcast - and frankly, he didn’t need to. His commentary cut straight to the core of what’s been wrong with this defense all season.
After the Eagles scored on a shovel pass to Dallas Goedert - with zero Raiders defenders setting the edge - Olsen delivered a line that echoed the frustration of Raiders fans everywhere:
“For an NFL defense to not have one single defender on the edge is just really hard to fathom.”
Hard to fathom is putting it lightly. That kind of breakdown is the stuff you expect in preseason, not Week 15. Veteran linebacker Devin White was supposed to be the one setting the edge on that play, and judging by Maxx Crosby’s unfiltered reaction on the sideline, the miscue didn’t go unnoticed in the locker room either.
Later in the game, Olsen doubled down with another stinger:
“They just can’t execute basic coverage.”
That’s not just a jab - that’s a gut punch. It’s Week 15.
The Raiders aren’t rolling out a bunch of rookies every snap. They’ve got experienced players like White, Elandon Roberts, Jeremy Chinn, Eric Stokes, and Isaiah Pola-Mao.
These guys have seen enough football to know how to drop into zone or stick with a man. So why are the basics still a problem?
Part of the answer lies in the coaching. It’s clear that talent is an issue in some spots, but the widespread breakdowns - from communication to execution - point to something deeper. And that’s where Carroll’s fingerprints come into play.
Graham has been a steady hand through multiple coaching changes in Vegas, and until now, his defenses haven’t looked this disjointed. But with Carroll reportedly pushing more of his own defensive philosophy - particularly the Cover 3 shell he favored in Seattle - it’s fair to wonder how much autonomy Graham really has right now. If Carroll is dictating scheme, personnel usage, and even play-calling tendencies, then Graham is essentially coaching someone else’s defense.
There’s precedent for this, too. After Chip Kelly was let go earlier this season, reports surfaced that Carroll had him running a playbook modeled after Shane Waldron’s Seattle offense. If Carroll imposed that kind of control on the offensive side, why would the defense be any different?
That puts Graham in a tough spot. He’s a respected coach with a solid track record, but at this point, it’s hard to imagine him surviving another regime change - especially if the next head coach wants a clean slate.
And if Carroll stays? It’s even harder to picture Graham wanting to stay tethered to a system that clearly isn’t working.
This isn’t just a one-week issue. The Raiders’ defensive struggles have been simmering all year, and Olsen’s blunt commentary just brought them to a full boil.
With three games left, there’s still time to show signs of life - or at least stop the bleeding. But given what we’ve seen, that feels like a tall order.
The Raiders need more than just a spark. They need a reset. Because right now, this defense - and this team - is stuck in a loop of frustration, and there’s no easy way out.