Why the Raiders Are Failing

John Breech is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he handed out grades to each NFL team based on how they performed in week five. The Raiders' poor performance against the Indianapolis Colts earned them the worst score possible, an F.

"The Raiders went all in on Geno Smith this year and after five weeks, that decision looks to be backfiring. One week after throwing three interceptions in a loss to the Bears, Smith threw two interceptions against the Colts and Indy ended up getting 14 points off those turnovers", said Breech.

The Raiders are on a downward trajectory, and there needs to be some sort of shake-up in order to give this team life. A year after they selected a player in the top ten, they seem to be in the same position this season, which shows that there's been no improvement despite their multiple offseason additions.

"The Raiders also gave up a blocked punt that Indy quickly turned into an touchdown. Every week, it seems to be the same thing with the Raiders: They can't get out of their own way".

One of the biggest takeaways from their week five loss to the Colts was how the injuries are beginning to pile up for the Raiders, and that's the case for two of their best players, AJ Cole and Brock Bowers.

The Raiders are floundering in 2025 because they have a personnel problem. Smith isn't a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL anymore; they don't have the offensive line to sustain a healthy rushing attack, and the coaching staff is not what it was hyped up to be. Carroll was supposed to bring a winning culture, and Chip Kelly was meant to bring innovative schemes to the league's worst rushing attack last season. So far in 2025, that hasn't been the case whatsoever.