Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Most Critical Quarter of the Raiders' Season

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have made more than a few changes this offseason that has led to renewed hope and expectations for the immediate and long-term future of the team. Hiring Pete Carroll as the team's head coach was one of those decisions, and it has already started to pay off.

The Raiders have a revamped roster and coaching staff but will still face its fair share of issues this upcoming season, as every team will. Along with working through the growing pains of a new coaching staff and new players, the Raiders also have a formidable schedule as well.

Las Vegas has several notable games this upcoming season. However, there is a stretch of games that will largely determine the direction of their season.

The first six weeks of the season, the Raiders will face the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. Those are three teams that have undergone plenty of changes just like the Raiders, meaning those games could go either way.

The Raiders' home opener is Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. It may be difficult to get a true feel of what the Raiders will be after the first six weeks of the season.

However, Las Vegas' next four games are the most critical four games of the Raiders' season. In Week 7, the Raiders travel to Kansas City to face the Kansas City Chiefs, before heading into their bye week in Week 8.

They face the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, Denver Broncos on the road, and Dallas Cowboys at home coming out of their week off. The Raiders must find a way to at least go 2-2 during that span, preferably winning at least one of the division games.

It will be the most important four game stretch of the season for the Raiders, not only because of their opponents but because it will be at about the midway point of the season.

Following Organized Team Activities, Carroll noted how although it is early in the offseason, the Raiders are hard at work establishing good habits.

"Oh that's everything. That's what this game is about. The game is about working hard enough so that you develop the skills that it takes, so that when it comes to game day, comes to whatever the situation that you're facing, you have what it takes to get it done," Carroll said.

"And you know that you do because you've established that confidence that comes through the good habits. So it doesn't matter who we play or where it is or Monday night or Thursday night or Sunday afternoon, doesn't matter where we're going to where we're playing, we can bring those habits to life in game time. That's really what my challenge is, is make this whole team play like that."

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

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