The Las Vegas Raiders knew what kind of quarterback they were getting when they traded for Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, and while he does a lot of things well, he has problems protecting the ball.
It’s not all his fault, though. The offensive line has been brutal and hit with the injury bug. Smith has very little protection, and it messes with both the passing game and running game.
Although the offensive line hasn’t been as good as it needs to be, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty finally went off in the 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4. Jeanty rushed for 138 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown as well as catching two passes for 17 yards and two touchdowns.
Jeanty had been quiet in his first three games but may have just had his legacy game, potentially unlocking his potential for the rest of the season.
If Smith can be more careful with the football and not throw multiple interceptions per game, Jeanty will be even more effective.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden dubs Smith’s interceptions as Las Vegas’ biggest issue on offense.
“Smith has thrown three interceptions in a game twice this season, including this past Sunday,” McFadden wrote Tuesday. “The Raiders finally got the ground game going with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, but Smith's turnovers cost them in the end. He has totaled seven picks already this season after finishing with 15 (third most in the league) in all of 2024 with the Seahawks. ‘We lost our chances to score when the offense was out there, more so than what [the Bears] did with it when they took it away from us,’ coach Pete Carroll said.”
The Raiders have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly through four weeks of the season. It doesn’t seem like the team is considering a QB change, but Smith needs to clean up the mistakes or else coach Carroll and the organization may be forced to consider it.
No QB has thrown seven or more interceptions through the first four games and made the playoffs, and while it’s still early in the season, the American Football Conference West division is as tough as it gets.
The Raiders take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 on the road. The Colts lost their first game of the season last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars and are hungry to bounce back against a vulnerable Raiders squad.