The Las Vegas Raiders have found themselves in an unwanted spotlight. According to The Athletic’s latest “Misery Meter,” the Raiders are among the NFL’s most miserable teams through the first five weeks of the 2025 NFL season.
What was supposed to be the beginning of a new era under veteran head coach Pete Carroll has quickly unraveled, leaving fans questioning whether this latest reboot has already gone off the rails.
Raiders Ranked Among NFL’s Most Miserable Teams After Blowout Loss
Carroll was brought in to stabilize a franchise that’s cycled through multiple coaches and front-office regimes over the past decade. Instead, the Raiders have fallen flat yet again, capped off by a humiliating 40-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.
That defeat wasn’t just another bad day; it was a sign that Las Vegas may be even worse than expected.
A coach once celebrated for building the Legion of Boom in Seattle and dismantling Peyton Manning’s historic 2013 Denver Broncos offense now finds himself running out of excuses. During Sunday’s loss, Carroll could only watch as Indianapolis outscored his Raiders 40-0 across the second and third quarters.
The Athletic’s “Pick Six” column placed the Raiders among other struggling franchises, including the Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Browns, Ravens, Bengals, Panthers, Titans, and Saints, noting that the group has a combined 11-39 record, with nearly half of those wins (5) coming against each other. In short, the Raiders are in miserable company.
A Veteran Coach, Yet a Familiar Struggle
Carroll’s track record shows he’s no stranger to slow starts. When he took over at USC in 2001, the Trojans began 1-4 before rallying to finish 6-6. His first season with the Seahawks ended at 7-9 despite a promising start.
Building a winner, as Carroll has often reminded reporters, takes time. But at 74 years old, he may not have that luxury in Las Vegas, especially with limited control compared to his previous stops.
The Raiders‘ issues run deeper than coaching. Their offense has been inconsistent, the defense can’t stop anything, and the overall identity is nonexistent. The numbers speak for themselves: Las Vegas has already lost twice by 17 or more points this season (40%).
Under Josh McDaniels, that happened five times in 25 games (20%). Under Antonio Pierce, it happened five times in 26 games (19.2%). Now with Carroll, it’s happened twice in just five outings, a troubling early trend.
Carroll’s admission following the loss, “I’m processing it poorly, to tell you the truth. Because I did expect to win right out of the chute,” underscores his frustration.
Expectations were higher, not only because of his pedigree but because the Raiders believed they had enough talent to compete in the AFC West. Instead, they’ve looked disorganized and overwhelmed.
The question now becomes how patient owner Mark Davis will be. Carroll’s history suggests he can turn things around, but doing so in today’s NFL requires more than just leadership. It demands stability, player development, and consistent execution, which the Raiders have struggled to implement.
If misery loves company, the Raiders certainly have plenty of it. But unlike other teams rebuilding from scratch, Las Vegas was supposed to be better than this… and that makes their struggles all the more painful.
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