
It wasn't exactly surprising to see the Las Vegas Raiders' offense struggle against the Cleveland Browns. After all, this team hasn't given anyone any reason to believe that they can perform well versus any defense in the 2025 NFL season, let alone one of the top units in the league.
It was shocking to see the Raiders' defense, which has had some encouraging moments throughout the year, allow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to lead his team to 24 points in his first career start. However, they were put in disadvantaged situations, due to a fumble from Geno Smith and a 44-yard punt return allowed by the special teams.
Las Vegas' struggles on the attack in this game weren't exactly shocking for anyone to see, but they still didn't make for an easy watch. Even if the Raiders are completely out of the running for a playoff spot, this fanbase and team need to see some improvement from their offense this year. They didn't get it against the Browns.
Geno Smith didn't throw a pick! That's something, right? But he did still have a turnover, getting strip-sacked on the Las Vegas Raiders' last drive to try to get back into the game against the Cleveland Browns. No one expected Smith to have a good game versus Myles Garrett and a fearsome defense, and that prediction was absolutely true.
He actually had a better fantasy day than he's had in weeks, finishing with 285 yards on 30-of-44 passing with one touchdown. However, his real-life struggles continue to hold the weapons on this team back from reaching their full potential, including Brock Bowers, Tre Tucker, and even Ashton Jeanty.
On the bright side, Ashton Jeanty had an encouraging game this week. Chip Kelly and the Raiders might not want to admit it, but trying to get the most they can out of their rookie running back should be their top priority in the remainder of the season, as they need to justify the selection and find some way to sell hope to a dejected fanbase.
Jeanty couldn't get much going on the ground, which isn't surprising considering the matchup between Las Vegas' dreadful offensive line versus the Browns' fierce front seven. However, he did get involved in the passing game, finishing with 17 carries for 50 yards and eight catches for another 58 yards and a touchdown.
That kind of workload was great for Jeanty's fantasy managers to see a week after he got just six total carries against the Dallas Cowboys. At the end of the game, though, the rookie star running back was decleated by Mason Graham and came up hobbling. Hopefully, he was just shaken up.
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