After a loss on Sunday that brings the Las Vegas Raiders to a 1-3 record, they have moved down in The Athletic’s Week 5 power rankings made by Josh Kendall and Chad Graff.
Las Vegas now sits at the No. 28 spot in the power rankings ahead of Week 5 after being No. 25 last week. The demotion comes after the Raiders lost to the Chicago Bears on Sunday by a score of 25-24. They remain winless at home this season.
Now, with a four-game sample size under their belt, Raiders fans are concerned about how their team has looked in what was supposed to be a season in which they were expected to be a much more threatening team.
It starts at the quarterback position. Geno Smith has thrown more interceptions so far this season than he has touchdowns. The story was no different on Sunday, as the 34-year-old threw three interceptions for the second time of the season in just four games. Smith totaled just 117 passing yards on 21 attempts, completing only 14 of his throws. It’s not the production Raiders fans were expecting from their new quarterback, who they traded a third-round pick for back in March.
Luckily, the Raiders’ rushing game stepped up hugely for the first time of the season. Las Vegas tallied 240 yards on the ground as a team on Sunday, which kept the game close despite the poor passing game.
Raiders fans finally saw Ashton Jeanty have his breakout performance in Week 4, rushing for 138 yards on 21 attempts while scoring a rushing touchdown. He also contributed two receiving touchdowns on his two catches. Jeanty’s outburst has been long-awaited since the Raiders selected the former Boise State Bronco with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite the loss, Jeanty’s outing is a promising sign for the future of the team as he almost single-handedly willed Las Vegas to a win.
After a monstrous Week 3 performance, receiver Tre Tucker came back down to Earth against the Bears, snagging just two catches for 13 yards. Tight end Brock Bowers led the Raiders in receiving yards with a modest 46.
Edge Maxx Crosby was his usual self, recording three tackles for loss and even intercepting Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Still, the Las Vegas defense couldn’t keep Chicago from pushing the ball downfield and into field goal range. The Bears connected on four field goals on their way to the one-point victory.
Week 4 was an opportunity for the Raiders to get back on track after a brutal loss in the previous game, but they failed to capitalize. In what was a very winnable game for the Raiders, who led 21-16 heading into the fourth quarter, they fell flat in securing the win, resulting in a drop towards the very bottom of the NFL in the newest power rankings.