Nov 17, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll during the second half of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

How the Raiders Must Approach Matchup vs. Eagles

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders' season has been far from successful. However, they have a chance to pull off an upset win that could galvanize the team over the final four weeks of the season. It may be a long shot but if there is anything the last few seasons of Raiders football has proven, anything is possible.

Still, for the Raiders to leave victorious, they must game plan and execute on both sides of the ball much better than they have for most of this season. If they are unable to do so, a win is unlikely.

Raiders' Review

The Raiders are rightfully expected to struggle against an Eagles team that has lost three consecutive games but has a vastly better roster than Las Vegas does. After losing 11 of their last 12, Las Vegas is likely looking at adding another loss to this forgettable season.

Earlier this week, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll explained that the Eagles' success has no bearing on how the Raiders have prepared. Carroll aims to approach every game the same way, regardless of the opponent or the hype surrounding it.

"I hope not. I really don't. We're trying to take every game like it's playing Super Bowl champions, and there's a reason for doing that. That's not because we're ignoring the fact of all of their accomplishments. It's to try to keep us consistent in our preparation and expectations of what it takes to get to your very best week after week after week,” Carroll said.

It may be Week 15, but the Raiders are essentially starting at rock bottom, as they sit at 2-11 on the season. As Carroll continues to try to change the culture that was in place long before his arrival, a win on Sunday against the Eagles, of all teams, would do wonders for Carroll.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“I firmly believe that if you respond to the rivalries and the history and the background, like we did at Notre Dame a million years ago, we learned the lessons. It doesn't matter who you're playing, you got to get right every single week. And so, we try to own that and capture that in the prep, but everybody knows this team,” Carroll said.

“We know them really well, and it didn't take a long time to introduce the team to the locker room, the people, the ways that they play, the style, the background, the history, all the stories and all that. That was very familiar, so there is a deep understanding of these guys because they've been so much in the spotlight, so much on top."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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