The Las Vegas Raiders have had plenty of problems to begin the 2025 NFL season. While he is hardly the only issue with the team at the moment, quarterback Geno Smith has been a major factor in the offense's poor start.
His frequent turnovers have stalled the Raiders' offense and given opposing teams incredible field position, which has made life hard on the defense. The team is just 1-4, and two of Las Vegas' losses can directly be blamed on Smith's interceptions.
Smith leads the league with nine interceptions and already has three games where he has thrown multiple picks. This includes two contests where he threw three in each, against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 and the Chicago Bears in Week 4.
Geno Smith lacks accountability for league-leading nine interceptions
Head coach Pete Carroll is not necessarily holding Smith accountable, and Smith himself is pointing the finger at other players, including rookie wideout Dont'e Thornton Jr. On Wednesday, he addressed his costly mistakes during a press conference, and he still won't take accountability.
"I got the same process. If the ball tips up in the air and gets picked -- six of the interceptions this year were tipped in the air, Johnny on the spot, defensive guy. Am I going to look at that and say, well, don't throw it to the guy who you're supposed to throw it to? I'm going to throw it to the guy I'm supposed to and, at times, things happen," Smith said. "I know, again, man, people get caught up in results, and they want to look at statistics and try to place blame because that's just how life goes when you're in the position I'm in, but I'm a lot smarter than that. I'm aware of the process, and I know exactly what I'm doing out there. Guys make plays on me and I got to be smarter with the ball in those situations, but when I'm throwing to a wide open Jack (Bech) in the back of the end zone and the ball is tipped up for an interception, there's not much you can really say about that except they made a play and then we didn't."
While Smith's comments on his play this season were, once again, filled with excuses, they are also, factually, incorrect. The Raiders' quarterback has had one pass that was batted in the air at the line of scrimmage, resulting in an interception, which came in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Three of his other interceptions came off deflections by the defense on plays where Smith tried to fit the ball in tight windows, and the pass was tipped to a teammate. All five of his other interceptions came on passes that were not deflected at all.
While the 13th-year quarterback acknowledged that he has to play better, he continues to make excuses for his poor play. If Smith's comments were actually true, it would be somewhat understandable for him to lack accountability, and fans would know where to place the blame.
But the fact that he is not honestly assessing himself and deflecting blame for his struggles makes matters much worse as a veteran player. Smith is certainly capable of improving, and he showed a willingness to take responsibility for his errors during the first few weeks.
As the season progresses and gets more frustrating, however, it is harder for a player to do that. Hopefully, Smith and the Raiders can get back on the right track in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, as winning is a cure-all. Plus, Smith is no stranger to adversity, so hopefully, he bounces back.