Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shake hands after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Change the Raiders Need To Make

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders fall to 2 - 5 after being dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs , a game where they couldn't get a single point on the board. The Raiders were without some of their top playmakers, such as Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but that doesn't excuse a shutout in 2025.

Finally, Geno Smith doesn't throw an interception, but it doesn't matter because the playcalling was conservative and the Raiders' offense was anemic as a whole. It's clear that something is wrong with this team, and that change needs to happen soon.

The Change

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FOX Sports has updated its weekly review for week 7 of the NFL, highlighting the biggest lessons learned about each team based on their performances. For the Raiders, the biggest revelation that came to light is that a quarterback change is necessary for this team to be injected with new life.

"Yes, the Raiders paid Smith decent money this offseason after acquiring him in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. However, Smith has failed to engineer a productive, explosive offense through the first seven games of the year".

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Smith's addition to the Raiders has been one of the worst decisions so far made in the offseason. They extended his contract, and I doubt a team would trade for him, so he'll be on the team for the remainder of this season, no matter what.

However, that doesn't mean the Raiders have to start him. Smith isn't helping the Raiders win, and if they aren't looking to win, then why did they trade for him in the first place? They have to face the fact that they were wrong about Smith's ceiling as a player, and move on, while there can still be something positive gained from this season.

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"And while all the blame certainly does not fall on Smith, the easiest move for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll to make in a lost season for the Raiders is to make a switch at quarterback to Kenny Pickett".

Unfortunately, Pickett didn't leave a good first impression on Raider Nation when he fumbled the ball on his second snap, but he gives their offense a chance at something new. He can't be any worse for their offense than Smith is right now, and that's all that matters. They need to get out of rock bottom.

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

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