There was a lot of excitement with the start of a new era for the Las Vegas Raiders, with Pete Carroll as head coach and Geno Smith as quarterback. However, so far, it has been mostly dark. The Raiders won in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, but they have since suffered four consecutive defeats, with terrible performances from Geno Smith leading the Las Vegas offense.
In Week 5, the Indianapolis Colts’ offense, led by Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor, completely crushed the Raiders. The final score was 40-6 in favor of Indianapolis, with two touchdown passes from Jones and Taylor confirming himself as the NFL’s top running back so far, scoring three touchdowns.
For their part, the Raiders could never find a rhythm during the game. Geno Smith threw for 228 yards but ended up with a couple of interceptions that were devastating for Las Vegas. Rookie Ashton Jeanty had some flashes but finished with just 14 carries for 67 yards.
Geno Smith’s final message
Geno Smith arrived in Las Vegas as a source of great hope for Raiders fans, especially after a strong stint with the Seattle Seahawks, highlighted by his 2022 Pro Bowl season. However, he has struggled recently, and it seems that time and confidence in him are starting to run out.
The current Raiders quarterback has thrown nine interceptions over five games, including the two against the Colts, and he accepted responsibility for Las Vegas’ poor results so far: “As the quarterback of this team, I hate where we are. I hate how this looks,” Geno Smith said.
Despite increasing criticism of Smith every week, head coach Pete Carroll reaffirmed his confidence in his quarterback, stating there will be no changes. Carroll emphasized that improvement must come collectively: “It’s on all of us. We all need to improve and work together,” Carroll said.
Next weekend is a big opportunity for the Raiders and Geno Smith, as they will host the Tennessee Titans, who just won their first game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals. This game is a must-win before facing the Chiefs and the Jaguars.
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