The Las Vegas Raiders are in a rut offensively, and it’s not just one thing-it’s everything. Through 12 games of the 2025 season, they’ve scored 20 points or fewer in nine of them, including each of their last four.
That’s not just a slump, it’s a full-blown identity crisis. The passing game has stalled, the run game hasn’t picked up the slack, and the offensive line has been shaky at best.
But the most glaring issue? Quarterback Geno Smith’s inability to hit open receivers when it matters most.
Smith’s struggles have gone beyond the box score. Sure, the interceptions and sacks jump off the stat sheet-he’s among the league leaders in both categories-but the real killer has been the missed opportunities.
Time and again, Smith has had receivers running free downfield and simply hasn’t connected. Those are the kinds of plays that flip games, and right now, the Raiders are leaving too many of them on the field.
One connection that’s been especially out of sync lately is Smith and third-year wideout Tre Tucker. It’s not for lack of effort on Tucker’s part-he’s been getting open, especially on deep routes-but the ball just hasn’t been there.
That chemistry, or lack thereof, has shown up in the numbers. Tucker was on pace for a breakout season through the first six weeks, racking up 24 catches for 356 yards and four scores.
But over the last six games? Just 20 grabs for 194 yards and a single touchdown.
If the Raiders are going to have any shot at turning things around in Week 14 against a red-hot Denver Broncos defense, that connection has to click. The deep ball-once a weapon-has all but disappeared from the Raiders' arsenal.
And against a defense like Denver’s, you need to be able to stretch the field. You need to threaten them vertically.
Right now, Las Vegas isn’t doing that.
Smith addressed the issue this week, acknowledging the need to start hitting those big plays when the opportunity arises.
“We want to hit our shots, whether it’s Tre or whoever else is downfield,” Smith said during his Wednesday press conference. “We want to hit our shots, and we’ve definitely got to capitalize on those when we get chances.”
Tucker echoed that sentiment in the locker room, keeping his focus on controlling what he can.
“The way I look at it is just keep running my routes, keep winning, the ball will find you,” Tucker said. “That’s the most exciting part, obviously, what it does, and it can change the score and do big things.”
They’re not wrong. The Raiders’ margin for error is razor-thin right now, and if they’re going to pull off a win against Denver, they’ll need to land a few haymakers.
But that’s easier said than done, especially with All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II back in the lineup. He didn’t play in the teams’ first meeting in Week 10, yet Denver’s defense still bottled up Las Vegas.
Now, with Surtain back on the field, the challenge only gets tougher.
Tucker knows what kind of test awaits.
“Obviously, they’ve got Pat Surtain. I mean, I think he’s one of the best in the league, if not the best in the league,” Tucker said.
“He’s very good, and it allows them to do a lot of things differently because of how good he is. So, for us, it’s a great matchup.
We didn’t get to play against him the first game.”
The Raiders need this one badly. Not just to stay alive in the AFC West race, but to prove to themselves that they can still be dangerous offensively.
That starts with getting Tucker more involved-especially after trading away Jakobi Meyers, who had been a steady presence in the passing game. With Meyers gone, Tucker’s role has only grown in importance.
Now it’s about execution.
If Geno Smith and Tre Tucker can finally get on the same page, the Raiders might just rediscover the big-play element that’s been missing for weeks. If not, it could be another long afternoon against one of the NFL’s most complete defenses.