Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Why Raiders Will Shake Up the AFC West

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most improved teams in the NFL from last season, heading into 2025. A large part of that is due to their coaching staff, as well as their trade to get a new quarterback in the building, Geno Smith.

Not to mention, they're adding Ashton Jeanty to an offense that already had Brock Bowers. They're reuniting with Amari Cooper to bolster their passing attack and give them another legitimate option besides Jakobi Meyers.

Pete Carroll has done a great job in his first year as a head coach to cultivate this roster for success, but will it be enough? An early peek at the first power rankings of the NFL season seems to indicate that it won't be.

Power Rankings

Pete Prisco, NFL analyst and sports writer for CBS Sports, has released his early NFL power rankings ahead of the first week of the season. For the Raiders, he has them ranked 28th, which is the fifth-worst team in the NFL.

"Pete Carroll's first season will show an improved team, but they play in a brutal division. Improvement might not show the way the fans want", said Prisco.

It's true that the AFC West projects to be an absolute bloodbath this year, with every team having no incentive to take it easy this season or figure things out. The Raiders may look like the odds one out, but here's why they're not.

Competing for the Division?

I don't believe the Raiders could be in the mix for the AFC West, despite how they may overachieve next season. The Kansas City Chiefs have too much Super Bowl DNA to give up their crown yet, and the other two teams are more prepared to compete for it.

However, the Raiders aren't going to let these teams walk all over them simply because they're a year or two away from being contenders. This team looks like it's found its swagger back, and at the very least, they're going to be a thorn in the sides of their divisional rivals.

This team didn't win a single one of their games last season against any team in the AFC West. There's too much talent on this roster for this to happen again, and Carroll's teams have historically been more competitive, so expect the Raiders to have 1-1 records against most, if not all, of their divisional rivals.

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

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