The Las Vegas Raiders now own a 2-5 record during the 2025 NFL season, and they are effectively out of the playoff hunt. Even if they are not mathematically eliminated, and won't be for quite some time, the writing is already on the wall for the Silver and Black.
It hasn't been pretty on either side of the ball, but especially on offense. This has made life difficult for star rookie Ashton Jeanty, who has still thrived in his inaugural Raiders campaign despite questionable usage, poor run-blocking and overall offensive ineptitude.
But things reached an even lower low in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Las Vegas walked into Arrowhead Stadium and lost 31-0. To make matters worse, Jeanty only ran the ball six times for 21 yards, and the team mustered just three first downs in the whole game.
Ashton Jeanty didn't hold back after Raiders' blowout loss to Chiefs
This was a demoralizing loss for the fan base, but it clearly stung even worse for the players in the locker room. Jeanty spoke to the media after the defeat and he did not pull any punches when assessing the team's performance.
"Just a terrible performance by us as a team," Jeanty said. "I mean, (we) couldn't stop them on defense and offense. We couldn't get going at all. So, you're going to lose a lot of football games like that. ... We just got to be better. I mean, simple as that."
It is nice to hear such a young player already taking accountability and calling a spade a spade. Jeanty's leadership shines through here, and it has been seen at various points throughout the season, as he's consoled Geno Smith after interceptions, and he leads by example on the field.
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Jeanty knows, however, that simply saying these things is not going to do it. The team has to make a concerted effort to right the ship and take the proper physical and mental steps to get this done. He touched on the Raiders' struggles in recent years and did not hold back, while still acknowledging the long-term goal.
"If we're being honest, it's been a losing culture around here for a long time," Jeanty said. "But we have to continue to work to fix that and bring winning back here."
Again, this is easier said than done. But Jeanty's ability to still look at the big picture and respond so maturely after a brutal loss is exciting for Raider Nation. He'll be a huge part of the future in Las Vegas, and when the team finally turns it around, fans will look back at comments like from Jeanty and be thankful that he wasn't scared to face the organization's issues head-on.