When looking at the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL season, their Week 8 bye came roughly at the halfway point. They finished 2-5 in the first segment of the year, and they'll have a daunting 10-game stretch as they finish out the back half of their schedule.
With three other teams in the AFC West at 5-3 or better, a playoff run is not likely in the cards for the Silver and Black, even if the conference is still relatively wide open. They just haven't shown enough promise to give Raider Nation any reason to believe that they'll turn things around.
But Las Vegas is still a ways away from being mathematically eliminated. So, in the meantime, let's make a few bold predictions for the latter half of the season that, if they came true, could completely change the Raiders' fortunes.
3 bold predictions for the second half of Raiders' 2025 season
1. Brock Bowers still leads Raiders in all receiving categories
Geno Smith has been the main offender when it comes to Las Vegas' offensive struggles, but not having Bowers at full strength since Week 1 is difficult to overcome. Although he's missed three games, he seems to be on track to return for Week 9's home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bowers still has the third-most catches and receiving yards on the team, so with a strong push in the final 10 games, he could easily move back into first and overtake Tre Tucker and his team-leading four touchdown catches. A revival by Bowers would go a long way in changing Las Vegas' fortunes.
2. Raiders average 1+ takeaway per game in last 10 contests
The Raiders had a takeaway in each of their first four games, and three against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. They had zero, of course, in each of their 30+ point blowout losses, but ideally, those performances are a thing of the past.
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Losing the turnover battle has plagued Las Vegas all year, and they failed to capitalize on several chances against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. But the tide will turn for the Raiders, as Patrick Graham's group will turn batted passes into interceptions and forced fumbles into takeaways.
3. Jakobi Meyers remains in Las Vegas through the end of the season
What?? Okay, this isn't likely, as Raider Nation has been reading the tea leaves about his potential departure for months. But, for this year at least, even if it doesn't make for a brighter future, Las Vegas is a better football team with Meyers in the lineup instead of Tyler Lockett.
If the new regime in Las Vegas has taught Raiders fans anything, it is to expect the unexpected. The Silver and Black squeeze every drop they can out of Meyers before letting him walk next offseason, and the team is slightly better for it in 2025.