The Las Vegas Raiders had what they hope was a transformative offseason, highlighted by the hiring of Pete Carroll, trading for Geno Smith, and drafting Ashton Jeanty. Along with a host of other promising moves, Vegas is hoping it can quickly go from one of the league’s worst teams, to a legit contender. With a Super-Bowl winning head coach, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, and a generational running back prospect, that transformation could be completed as soon as 2025.
However, Raiders fans are being cautioned to keep their expectations in check. Some analysts are arguing that Las Vegas will improve, but the team may not be a playoff-caliber squad just yet. Among the warnings about expectations have been concerns about Geno Smith. The veteran quarterback is currently in the best stretch of football in his career, but analysts are pointing out one flaw he has that could hold the Raiders back.
In 2024, coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, Smith posted career highs in completion percentage (70.4) and passing yards (4,320), while also throwing 21 touchdowns. However, he also threw 15 interceptions— one shy of the NFL lead from last season. Now, heading into the 2025 season, interceptions continuing to be a problem for Smith is considered the team’s worst-case scenario.
However, fans shouldn’t worry about that coming to fruition, because the Raiders should have something the Seattle Seahawks didn’t have last season: a good run game,
Ashton Jeanty and Raiders’ run game should prevent Geno Smith from throwing costly interceptions
15 interceptions is undoubtedly a bad number; there’s no way around that. Of course, Smith fell victim to some of the typical factors like dropped passes turned interceptions and pressure-influenced turnovers, but he had his fair share of mistakes that were solely on him. Quite a few of those came in the red zone, and here’s why a talent like Ashton Jeanty can help eliminate those turnovers specifically.
In 2024, the Seattle Seahawks had the fifth-worst rushing attack in the league, averaging just 95.7 rushing yards a game. Not being able to run the ball is always bad, but it makes things especially tough in the red zone. When the field is condensed, and an offense can’t just run the ball into the end zone, quarterbacks have to try and squeeze the ball in even smaller windows, as things get really crowded with 22 players inside of 30 yards.
That’s why five of Smith’s 15 interceptions came in the red zone last season— with two of those five coming inside the 10-yard line. If Jeanty hits the ground running in the NFL, things will be much easier for Smith in the red zone. Defenses will actually have to respect the run, and if Jeanty is the beast everyone thinks he will be, Pete Carroll will know it’s best just to let him run the ball in for the score.
This is all hinging on Jeanty and other newcomers having a dramatic affect on Las Vegas’ running game, because the team that was worse than Seattle and every other franchise on the ground in 2024 was the Raiders. Vegas averaged just 79.8 rushing yards a game last season. If that doesn’t change, Smith will face the same challenges in the red zone.