I guess it was only a matter of time before the pendulum came back around.
For the last few months, everything's been coming up Raiders. The Maxx Crosby extension; Pete Carroll's return to the NFL; trading for Geno Smith – it's all been great. Then they had an absolute heat check of a draft and now Raiders expectations may be ... too optimistic? It was probably time that someone came in and brought them down a notch or two – a little adversity never hurt.
RELATED: Maxx Crosby explains how Pete Carroll has already gotten full buy-in from Raiders
And that's exactly what Bleacher Report did. This week, they dropped a big list of best- and worst-case scenarios of every team's 2025 season, and their Raiders write up was particularly grim. (Maybe read the best-case right after.)
This Raiders' worst-case scenario prediction may keep you up at night
Worst-Case Scenario: Geno Smith's Decline Continues, Carroll Loses Touch
"Smith reviving his career in Seattle has been one of the most fun NFL storylines at the position, but the Seahawks may have gotten out at the right time. The 34-year-old earned Comeback Player of the Year in 2022, but his production has waned since. The 15 interceptions he threw last season were his most since his rookie year in 2013 when he threw 21.
Smith threw 20 touchdowns to nine interceptions with an 8-7 record as starter in Carroll's final season as Seahawks head coach. That was with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at receiver. Now Carroll is 73, the Raiders don't have that kind of lineup at receiver, and Smith is another year older. There's a chance the trade for Smith doesn't give Las Vegas the stability it was looking for in this regime."
Well then. None of that is wrong – or even that outlandish – but that doesn't mean it had any business being in front of my eyeballs this morning. Worrying for worrying's sake is a waste of your precious time. Also, at one point Father Time is going to catch up to Pete Carroll, but I'm done trying to pretend I'll know when that is – if there's one NFL coach whose age shouldn't really imply anything, it's probably him.
This could happen, I guess. Bleacher Report isn't wrong. But the vibes in Vegas are simply too good right now to acknowledge it anymore than that. Once Maxx Crosby starts sounding defeated on his podcast, then I'll circle back to this.