Gutierrez: Raiders' bye week offers a chance to define who they are

Oct 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM

Paul Gutierrez

Raiders Columnist

With reporters flittering about his locker like so many rumors and reports, Maxx Crosby was not in the mood Wednesday afternoon.

After all, the Raiders' final pre-bye week practice had concluded and the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher had places to be, people to see.

"I plead the 5th," Crosby said of his Constitutional right, a sly smile crossing his face.

But why? No skullduggery had been committed. There was no threat of incriminating himself, right?

Well…

What the Raiders have been through thus far is something closer to a true-crime mystery.

"Yeah, I'm surprised that we're not farther along than we are," coach Pete Carroll said earlier in week, raising eyebrows throughout the streets of Silver and Blackdom. After all, he wasn't alone.

"I thought we would be, and I anticipated being farther along and being cleaner with our game. What I'm trying to show you is that we can play really balanced football, meaning that all three phases can do their part and give us a chance to play the game where we're not giving the game away."

Alas, the Raiders' seven games have been full of the occasional and exhilarating high (the season-opening win at New England) and exasperating lows (increasingly bad blowout road losses at Washington, Indianapolis and Kansas City) in compiling that record of 2-5 that has not only Carroll flummoxed, but the entire franchise, as well as its fan base.

Yeah, that Raiders debut for Carroll, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterback Geno Smith against the Patriots seems so long ago now, especially in the wake of Sunday's 31-0 thumping at the Chiefs.

Remember when the offensive line and the lack of a running game were the issues? Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick, is more than coming into his own and is pace for 1,081 rushing yards and seven TDs.

What about when not-so-special teams, long a franchise staple, essentially cost the Raiders a game against the Bears at home? Yeah, they've settled down of late.

It was said in this space early and often that the Raiders roster was top-heavy, relatively speaking, that there was a massive drop after certain starters at certain positions. That, after a shockingly injury-free training camp, injuries at key positions in the season would more than hamstring (pun intended) the team as a whole.

And here we are.

Foundational left tackle Kolton Miller is on Injured Reserve with a broken left ankle.

First-team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers injured a knee late in the opener, was not the same thereafter, and missed the Raiders' last three games.

WR1 Jakobi Meyers missed the Kansas City game with knee and toe issues.

And Smith, after that fast start in the opener, may not be injured physically, but he is tied for the league lead with 10 interceptions, and his QBR of 34.0 ranks 28th in the NFL.

Ouch. Literally and figuratively.

Look, if every game is a season unto itself, the Raiders are aging. But in dog years, or like a fine wine?

How they handle the bye will be the determining factor. No doubt there will be plenty of self-scouting and soul-searching - there has to be - for a team that ranks 28th in total offense, 18th in total defense, is tied for fourth-worst in turnover differential and 31st in scoring.

Ouch again.

Seven games in, the Raiders are still in search of an identity. Even as Smith said, they are a "developing young team" in the NFL.

"I can't speak to everybody, but when I assess it from my point of view, I think maybe guys are just trying a little too hard," said Smith, who has passed for 1,417 yards with seven TDs while completing 65.8% of his passes (almost a full percentage point better than his career mark but nearly five points lower than what he accomplished last season) and has a passer rating of 77.1.

"Whether you are an offensive lineman, tight end, receiver, running back, when the ball is in your hand, you have to make plays. You've got to block them in front of you, or you've got to tackle. It's football. Blocking and tackling is always going to be the game. Until we do those things exactly right every single game, we're going to still be climbing.

"I'm not bitter about it, I'm just upset we're not the team that I envision us being. Yet. We'll get there."

And with a bye and 10 games to go, it doesn't take a Constitutional scholar to see that's the Raiders' hope.

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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) arrives to the regular season away game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.