The Las Vegas Raiders suffered yet another embarrassing loss on the national stage, falling 33-16 to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. It is clear that the Raiders' issues begin at the top, as the coaching staff hasn't lived up to the expectations that the organization had before the season.
As far as the roster, however, the acquisition of Geno Smith has been a clear letdown. On Monday, the veteran quarterback had the opportunity to show the world that the first half of the season was a fluke. Luckily, he was facing off against one of the league's worst defenses.
Dallas entered the matchup ranked 31st in scoring defense, 31st in total yards allowed, 29th in passing yards allowed, and 31st in passing touchdowns allowed. But Smith failed the test miserably, as he further proved why his time as a starting quarterback should be coming to an end.
Geno Smith lacks accountability as his season-long struggles continue
Smith discussed his second-half goals ahead of the matchup with the Cowboys, revealing that he wants to be the best in the league at protecting the football and that he expects the offense to score more. The 13-year veteran failed at both on Monday.
He did complete 27 of his 42 pass attempts for 238 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The offense's 16 points and 236 total yards, however, were the fewest that Dallas has allowed all season after entering the game averaging 30.8 points and 397.4 yards allowed per game.
Smith has thrown an interception in all but two games this season, while failing to throw a touchdown pass in four separate outings. While he is once again tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown, he continued to lack accountability for his play in his post-game press conference.
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In all three of the Raiders' primetime games this season, Smith has underperformed. In the three losses, he has averaged just 187.0 passing yards per game despite averaging 37 attempts, while also throwing one touchdown and five interceptions.
His performance on Monday was the ultimate letdown, as he missed a golden opportunity to turn his brutal season around. Las Vegas will face six top-14 passing defenses in its final seven games, so it is unlikely that Smith will be able to do much of anything to prove why he continues to start in 2026.
In all likelihood, his days as a starting quarterback are numbered. While he could land backup gigs, the veteran should be looking for his sixth NFL home this offseason. After entering the year with the expectations that he would turn the Raiders' offense around, it is clear that Smith has failed that test.