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game day:
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) runs the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) during the second half of a NFL game at Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. Photo by: Wade Vandervort
By Case Keefer (contact)
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 | 2 a.m.
• Who: Jaguars (4-3) at Raiders (2-5)
• When: 1:05 p.m.
• Where: Allegiant Stadium
• TV: Fox 5
• Radio: Raider Nation Radio 920 AM, KOMP 92.3 FM
•Betting line: Jaguars -3, over/under 44.5
Well, it can’t get any worse for the Raiders than their last outing, a 31-0 loss at the Chiefs in Week 7. The score wound up flattering considering Las Vegas managed only three first downs, tied for the fewest of any NFL team in the last 25 years. The Raiders ran 30 total offensive plays, the fewest of any NFL team in the last 17 years.
The good news is, the Jaguars were only marginally better in their latest game on the same day. Jacksonville suffered the second most lopsided loss of Week 7 behind the Raiders, getting slaughtered 35-7 by the Los Angeles Rams in London. Both teams enjoyed a well-timed bye week to regroup going into a meeting for the second straight year at Allegiant.
The Raiders rebounded from major disappointment against the Jaguars last season, winning 19-14 on Dec. 22, 2024, to snap a 10-game losing streak. A victory could loom even larger this time around given the negativity surrounding the franchise so early in the season.
Favorable matchup: Jaguars’ anemic pass rush vs. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith
The Raiders’ $40 million trade-acquired quarterback desperately needs to get back on track after throwing for seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions in the first seven games of the season. He’s repeatedly wilted under pressure but should encounter fewer problems in that regard against the Jaguars. Jacksonville has the worst pass rush Las Vegas has faced so far as it ranks dead-last in the NFL with a 3.02% sack rate. Raiders coach Pete Carroll has subtly blamed the offensive line for Smith’s poor play, but the unit should be in position for a better performance against the Jaguars. Jacksonville does have a pair of competent edge rushers in former Pro Bowler Josh Hines Allen and former No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker but it’s been getting no production against opposing quarterbacks from its interior defensive linemen. Las Vegas remains vulnerable on the outside with right tackle DJ Glaze enduring somewhat of a sophomore slump and journeyman Stone Forsythe filling in for injured franchise player Kolton Miller. But it should be able to supply extra help in the form of double-teams and different personnel groupings to account for Hines Allen and Walker given Jacksonville’s anemic defensive tackle play.
“Working hard and setting the example and, you know, speak when it’s needed. I’ll keep doing my part and hopefully others will continue to fall behind and go forward with me.” -Jeanty on how he plans to change what he called out as the Raiders’ “losing culture for a long time” after the Chiefs’ game
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“It’s an ongoing process. We’re going to strive for perfection and try to fall somewhere along those lines. When I watch all our games, I see a lot of guys making plays out there, guys out there straining, the offensive line protecting their butts off, doing all the things we ask them to do. And then a lot of us just shoot ourselves in the foot. If we stop that, then it will look better.” -Smith expressing confidence in the Raiders’ ability to improve and a belief that most of their failings are self-inflicted.
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“I had to pull it back a little bit…It was brutal. It sucked, to be honest. But it’s in the past. I’m happy to be back out there now…I can’t put a percentage on it but it wasn’t 100% for the (weeks I played.) We’re definitely closer now.” -Bowers on how he took the Raiders’ training staff telling him he could no longer play through his knee injury.
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“I ain’t going to lie: I hate that (expletive), especially the older you get. It’s tough on your body. You can play Sunday and your body doesn’t even snap back until Friday of next week or sometimes Saturday right before the game. Obviously we understand what we’re up against and it’s part of the NFL.” -Linebacker Jamal Adams on the Raiders having two games in the next five days with a Thursday Night Football showdown at Denver up next
Problematic matchup: Jaguars’ evolving skill players vs. Raiders’ defense
The great hope for the Jaguars in overcoming a two-game losing streak to threaten getting back on top of the AFC South division rests is an uptick from their young weapons. Jacksonville is loaded with talent in the offensive skill positions, but it hasn’t fully taken off yet. There’s a chance it could ascend at any moment given how many young players are involved. No. 1 receiver Brian Thomas is coming off one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history but has been slowed by injuries this year including a current shoulder strain. He’s been disappointing this season but showed his potential last year and could break out again. Rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten is another piece Jacksonville coach Liam Coen has used creatively, and he’s already formed one of the NFL’s better rushing duos next to veteran Travis Etienne. Coen is considered an offensive mastermind and if, that’s the case, he should find plenty of holes to exploit in a Las Vegas defense that grades out as average at best.
Gamebreaker: Tight end Brock Bowers
The second-year tight end beat up on the Jaguars in December with 11 catches for 99 yards. He could be in line for a repeat performance today considering he’ll enter the game fully healthy for only the second time this year. Bowers tweaked his knee at the end of a 20-13 Week 1 win over the Patriots where he had eight catches for 103 yards. He tried to play through the pain for the next three weeks before exacerbating the strain, forcing the Raiders to sit him out of the last three games. Bowers has now benefitted from more than a month off and practiced in full for the whole week. It’s not a coincidence that the Raiders’ offense has looked dreadful without their most consistent playmaker in the lineup. Jacksonville’s issues against tight ends from a year ago have carried over with a new coaching staff, as it ranks 24th in the league in defending the position per the DVOA ratings. Getting Bowers going might be the key to unlocking Smith, if not obtaining victory altogether.
Big Number: 5
The Jaguars have five more takeaways in seven games this year than they did all of last season. Jacksonville sits with 14 takeaways and a +8 turnover margin in the 2025-2026 campaign. It was at nine takeaways with a -15 turnover margin in 2024-2025. The defensive personnel hasn’t changed much, so the reversal can be seen as yet another testament to how random turnover luck can prove. The Raiders aren’t taking any chances though. Multiple players mentioned that taking care of the ball was even more paramount this week given the Jaguars’ ballhawking ways. Las Vegas has a -5 turnover margin this season — tied for third-worst in the NFL — with 12 giveaways from a pair of lost fumbles to add to Smith’s 10 interceptions. Smith may particularly want to look out for Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd, who’s tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions by virtue of disguising his coverages and preying on shorter passes over the middle
Best Bet (3-4): Brock Bowers over 4.5 receptions
This requires laying a somewhat high price — the best odds at publication time were -135 (i.e. risking $135 to win $100) — but it’s worth it. Don’t be worried about Bowers’ health anymore; he’s just fine after all the time off. Bowers’ receptions total regularly reached over/under 7.5 at the end of last season, and that was more than justified given a historic rookie season. He hasn’t lost any of that ability, and figures to factor heavily into the game plan with one of Smith’s other top targets, Jakobi Meyers, dealing with a knee injury of his own and being disgruntled with the trade deadline approaching Tuesday. Bowers has beaten this number in three of four games he played in this season, and that was mostly on one good leg. He might double this receptions total against the Jaguars.
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