Pickett's struggles solidify the Raiders' dismal season. Despite draft hopes, offensive line woes continue to haunt Las Vegas.
Unsurprisingly, the Las Vegas Raiders stand pat at No. 32 in Bleacher Report’s latest NFL power rankings heading into Week 16. Now, at 2-12, the level of play displayed by Las Vegas on Sunday was nowhere near changing its placement as the worst team in the NFL.
They share the worst record in the league with the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, but the situation in Las Vegas is much bleaker than either of the aforementioned teams. Raiders fans had a sliver of optimism heading into Week 15 because they’d get a chance to see how quarterback Kenny Pickett played in Geno Smith’s absence. When Pickett came in for Smith in Week 14, Pickett impressed in his short sample size. It was not replicated on Sunday, however.
In fact, Pickett put up better stats in a quarter of action in Week 14 than he did during the entirety of Week 15. Against the Denver Broncos a couple of games ago, Picket completed eight of 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday, however, Pickett completed just 15 passes for an abysmal 64 yards, throwing an interception in the process.
Any optimism surrounding a change at quarterback has now been silenced, returning the Raiders to one of the worst situations in football. The offensive line in Las Vegas is one of, if not the worst, in the league. While the franchise will surely target a quarterback in this year’s draft, the current state of the offensive line will surely tear down any potential impact made by a new quarterback, just as it has with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty this season.
Taking a quarterback in the draft, namely Indiana University’s Fernando Mendoza, is a no-brainer, but the Raiders’ next biggest priority is to address the offensive line around him. If they build an even decent line that unlocks Jeanty and any incoming quarterback, 2026 could look totally different for Las Vegas.
For now, it’s much of the same. Poor performances on both sides of the ball have led to eight consecutive losses for the Raiders. Now, they have to keep that losing streak alive to muster up any benefit from this season, which would come from getting the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. They’re in that position right now, but the Giants and Titans will be looking for any opportunity to take that coveted spot away.