Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Ashton Jeanty, speaks to the media at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Raiders' Schedule Poses Multiple Issues

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated May 20, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The upcoming season will be a pivotal one for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com believes the Raiders have an interesting season on the horizon, as their schedule pits them against some of the least-experienced quarterbacks in the league. However, those quarterbacks are also some of the most talented.

"There is some good news and some bad news for the start of the Raiders' season. The good news is that five of their first seven games could come against teams starting quarterbacks with two or fewer years of professional experience (New England, Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Tennessee). The bad news is that the Commanders have a burgeoning superstar under center in Jayden Daniels, while the Bears have created a much better supporting cast for Caleb Williams, the top overall pick in last year's draft. We'll see how this goes," Chadiha said.

The Raiders' first part of the season can go many different directions. However, Chadiha explains why the season's last six weeks could cause problems for Las Vegas.

"The final six weeks of the season will not be easy for Las Vegas. Starting on Nov. 30, the Raiders will see the [Los Angeles] Chargers, [Denver] Broncos, [Philadelphia] Eagles, [Houston] Texans, [New York] Giants, and [Kansas City] Chiefs. Aside from the Giants, every one of those teams should be thinking about making the playoffs. Oh, yeah -- the Chargers, Eagles, and Texans will all be road games," Chadiha said.

Chadiha noted how well running back Ashton Jeanty fits what Carroll likes to do best: run the ball. After two seasons of a subpar ground game, which saw the Raiders use more than three different starting running backs, Las Vegas has found its bell cow back in Jeanty.

"There's no secret about how Las Vegas wants to play offense. Head coach Pete Carroll loves the run game, and the team's first-round pick was running back Ashton Jeanty. With that in mind, it's hard to not look at the Raiders' early schedule and see the potential for plenty of ground-and-pound. Five of their first six opponents ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in rush defense last year (New England, Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Tennessee)," Chadiha said.

"The Raiders open this campaign in New England, where limited partner Tom Brady played 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls," Chadiha said.

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

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