Young Raiders Team Learning the Hard Way in Tough Stretch

The Las Vegas Raiders 2025 season has gotten off to a much different start than anyone could have predicted. Still, the Silver and Black look to improve heading into Week 4.

Every Player Must Improve

The Raiders' loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 3 was all the proof anyone needed that the Raiders still need work. Las Vegas is a team with many new and moving parts that they are still trying to figure out. Naturally, that has come with a few growing pains.

Before Wednesday's practice, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll explained his mindset moving forward.

"Well, it's really important that our guys play better. And so, we're trying with our combinations and mixing our looks and all of that. Malcolm [Koonce] has been pretty lively in his pass rush with a couple of results last week and two weeks ago, and we'll get him back into it. We continue to move the rotations. It's still a work in progress in that we're learning who's who and what they can do best, and that may last a couple more weeks of us trying to figure that out,” Carroll said. 

“We need to get to it, and I would love to have it nailed right now, but with the background that we've had, and this is still in progress, but the part I like about it is these guys are competing really hard for their play time and their spots, and as long as they maintain that kind of approach, then they'll keep elevating their game, and it'll be obvious what we should do." 

As the Raiders return home to face the Chicago Bears on Sunday, they look to take the first step in building a true homefield advantage at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas has not won many games over the past few seasons, especially at home.

Carroll knows he and his team must do their part to help create the homefield advantage they seek. The easiest way for that to happen is for the Raiders to win more games at home.

“Well, we're trying to create the advantage wherever we go, wherever we play, but we certainly could utilize winning here and getting our fans really jacked and allow them to be a factor. The noise factor is always something that you can count on when you get it going, so we have to play well," Carroll said.

"Obviously, in the past, they haven't, haven't played well enough to get their wins, but that was then, and this is now. We got to crank it up and see if we can get one this weekend and keep building from there."