HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) may not be technically over with seven games left on the schedule, but in reality it is.
With the Cleveland Browns coming to town and giving their highly covered rookie QB Shedeur Sanders his first career start, Allegiant Stadium will be rocking the color brown on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders Coach Pete Carroll
Las Vegas Raiders Coach Pete Carroll / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
The Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 season can still succeed if they start making decisions that benefit 2026.
That may not seem very sensible, but it is truthful.
In the National Football League, there are no moral victories. That is especially true when you are a franchise that has a motto of, “Just Win, Baby.”
This franchise has watched 2025 crash and burn into a disaster, but it doesn’t have to end that way. A decision can still be made in 2025 that carries an enormous impact on 2026, and that could at least in part, set up wins in the future.
Easier Said than Done? Not Really
The Raiders have not been willing to turn their attention (as I have called for for several weeks) t0 2026.
Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady
Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Primarily, that is because a sure Hall of Fame head coach, Pete Carroll, preaches to compete 24/7, and he won’t give up on 2025 until the final whistle blows against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 4, 2026, and the season ends.
Somehow, someway, Raiders GM John Spytek has to convince every optimistic coach that wins in 2026 can be measured with complete commitment to winning, while playing younger players, and sitting some already proven veterans like Kolton Miller and Maxx Crosby.
Is Change Expected?
Head coach Pete Carroll talked about the status of his team, and where they are ahead of the Cleveland Browns. You can read a partial transcript below.
Head Coach Pete Carroll
Q: When trying to figure out who starts on your offensive line, whether it's Caleb Rogers or Will Putnam, throughout the course of the week, what are the benchmarks you're looking for in terms of in practice to kind of help you guys make that decision on who goes out there?
Las Vegas Raiders IOL Caleb Rogers
Las Vegas Raiders IOL Caleb Rogers / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Head Coach Pete Carroll: "First off, everything is based on competition, meaning that we got to give them a chance and show them. We look at who they're matching up against, how they handle it, from the pass rush competitions that we do, the communications, so we're looking at it. Just like as we evaluate everything, so we try to mix the rotations so that we see guys against the best competition they could have. And we use all of that information, and then from there, it's subjectively, we make a decision on what we're doing. So, I mean, that's not any different than we've ever done in any position. We might specialize a little bit and try to make a big deal about that we're competing and everybody knows. And so, the guys are battling. And so, we try to make it kind out in the open."
Q: Is it disconcerting at all that this far into the season that maybe Caleb Rogers wasn't ready to be dressed out for a game?
Coach Carroll: "No. He's a young player trying to make it, and he's trying to do the best he can. He's been busting his tail for a long time, but he's still learning. It's because he's a draft pick that you guys are bringing this up. And we think he's going to be a good player, and it just hasn't quite got it as far as he needs to at this point. He's trying. He's busting his tail."
Q: After getting a chance to see the game film, obviously better than field level, did anything stand out to you maybe after seeing the film that you didn't notice from field level?
Las Vegas Raiders OC Chip Kelly
Las Vegas Raiders OC Chip Kelly / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Coach Carroll: "Sure, yeah, that's why, really, I hate having to talk about the game before I see the film, and I try not to say too much to the team. I try to not say too much to you guys because I need to get a real good session. So, I went right there last night, and away we go. Gosh, there's so many observations in different directions. Just in general, we went after them, to go after them with the early play passes and to throw the ball in first down, and we did that pretty well, and that was pretty clear. And the reason why, I think I said this last night, probably, but we protected well in those situations, and Chip [Kelly] mixed all the calls so to keep the defensive guys from teeing off on us, and when we fell into the drop back opportunities, the longer third down situations and a couple earlier ones, we had trouble holding them out, and we didn't pass pro well against their guys. It's a really good front, kind of quickly they changed the complexion of their future, I think, with the moves that they made. Those guys were tough, and they made it hard on us. That was just one area. I mean, there's a ton of them."
Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty
Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
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