No one really knows what the Raiders are going to look like this season – that's what makes them so exciting. In years past, it was pretty obvious where the Raiders were going to finish in the division. Pat Mahomes has something to do with that, sure, but it doesn't help when you're running out Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell in the toughest division in football.
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And now with Geno Smith, Pete Carroll, and Chip Kelly running the offense, things seem ... optimistic? Intriguing? Not mind-numbingly bad? Any of those are a far cry from last year's 4-win slog, which is what makes ESPN – along with every Raiders fan on the planet – so excited about the upcoming season. Just look at what they had to say about the new dynamic in their big list of QB Questions:
ESPN got so, so close to predicting a playoff berth for the Raiders in 2025
What should we expect from the Geno Smith-Chip Kelly pairing? The Raiders acquired Smith, the well-traveled veteran quarterback, from the Seahawks in one of the sneaky-strong moves of the offseason. Based on the way he played the past couple of seasons in Seattle, Smith is probably the best QB addition any team made this spring or summer. Kelly, making his return to the NFL as Raiders' offensive coordinator, has hit it off early with his new QB, with whom he's apparently had a relationship for some time. And coach Pete Carroll was the Seahawks' coach when Smith took over the starting QB job from Russell Wilson and outplayed everyone's expectations. This AFC West division had three playoff teams last season, and all three of them seem to be better this year, so it's an uphill climb for the Raiders. But don't be surprised if they make it tough on the teams that finished in front of them last year.
They might make it tough on the teams that finished in front of them last year. What a world! Next thing you know, they might even beat them. Snarky coping aside, this is the type of blurb you'd write up when you want to give a team credit for doing their absolute best while still being acutely aware that there's no hope for them whatsoever. So get excited!