Raiders’ AFC West Woes Continue as Pete Carroll Era Spirals
The 2025 season has gone from rough to historically bad for the Las Vegas Raiders - and that’s saying something for a franchise that’s seen its fair share of dark days. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the Raiders are staring down the possibility of finishing with two or fewer wins, something that’s only happened three times in the team’s long and storied history, most recently in 2006.
There’s no denying that this is a young roster. The front office didn’t make any major splashes in free agency last offseason, opting instead to lean into a youth movement.
But while inexperience can explain growing pains, it doesn’t account for how consistently overmatched this team has looked - especially within its own division. And that’s where head coach Pete Carroll, brought in to stabilize and elevate the franchise, finds himself at the center of the storm.
AFC West: A Measuring Stick the Raiders Keep Failing
In the NFL, division games are more than just rivalries - they’re benchmarks. If you can’t beat the teams in your own backyard, you’re not making progress. And right now, the Raiders aren’t just losing to their AFC West rivals - they’re getting run out of the building.
Las Vegas is 0-5 in the division this season, extending a brutal AFC West losing streak to 11 games. That’s two full seasons’ worth of divisional futility.
The only matchup left on the calendar? A Week 18 date with the Kansas City Chiefs - the same Chiefs who blanked them 31-0 earlier this year.
Barring a miracle, the Raiders are staring down a second straight winless season in the division.
And it’s not just the losses - it’s how they’re happening. Outside of a sloppy 10-7 Thursday night loss to Denver, the Raiders haven’t even been competitive.
They’ve been blown out twice by the Chargers, handled easily by the Broncos in a rematch, and overwhelmed by the Chiefs. Through five AFC West games, they’ve been outscored 116-47 - and 10 of those 47 points came in garbage time, with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett under center.
That’s an average margin of defeat of nearly two touchdowns per game. In a division that features elite coaching minds like Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and Jim Harbaugh, the Raiders haven’t just fallen behind - they’ve fallen off the map.
From Promise to Regression
It wasn’t long ago that there was real optimism in Vegas. Antonio Pierce, who took over as interim head coach in 2023, earned the full-time job after going 3-0 in the division to close out the season.
That brief spark, though, faded quickly. Pierce went 0-6 in the AFC West the following year, and the organization pivoted to Carroll - a move aimed at bringing veteran leadership and a championship pedigree to the sideline.
But so far, that decision hasn’t paid off. Carroll, at 74, was supposed to be the steady hand guiding a young team through a rebuild.
Instead, the Raiders have regressed. There’s been little player development, minimal in-game adjustments, and no signs of a team finding its footing.
If anything, they’ve looked less prepared and more overwhelmed as the season has gone on.
What’s Next for Las Vegas?
The silver lining - if there is one - is that the Raiders are likely headed for a top-3 draft pick and will have significant salary cap flexibility this offseason. There’s also a young core in place that, with the right leadership and development, could become the foundation of a legitimate turnaround.
But that’s the key: the right leadership. And based on what we’ve seen this season, it’s hard to make the case that Carroll is the one to lead that charge.
The Raiders haven’t just failed to win - they’ve failed to improve. And in the NFL, stagnation is often more damning than defeat.
For a franchise that prides itself on toughness, identity, and a rebellious spirit, this version of the Raiders feels adrift. Until they can start competing - and winning - in the AFC West, the rest of the rebuild is just window dressing.
Right now, the gap between Las Vegas and the rest of the division isn’t shrinking. It’s widening. And unless something changes soon, that losing streak might just keep growing.