Raiders' youth movement could salvage something positive from failed season

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) passes against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Photo by: Gregory Bull / Associated Press

Coming into the season, this game at the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles projected as the toughest on the Raiders’ schedule. It was the only game where Las Vegas was a double-digit underdog in the preseason. But, as it’s turned out, the Raiders have already been this big of an underdog twice with two more instances on the horizon before the end of the season.

Yes, the Raiders have turned out much worse than anticipated, but the Eagles are also in a freefall of their own. Philadelphia has lost three straight games, causing an unbelievable scene earlier this week where coach Nick Sirianni had to make a vote of confidence for starting quarterback Jalen Hurts as fans called for the reigning Super Bowl MVP’s benching.

The only quarterback change will be on the Raiders’ side. Geno Smith, who’s started every game this season, suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s 27-20 loss to the Broncos and hasn’t practiced leaving former Eagles backup Kenny Pickett as the starter.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ youth movement vs. Eagles’ desperation

It took a six-game losing streak to fall to the bottom of the NFL — a skid extended to seven with the defeat to the Broncos — but Raiders coach Pete Carroll finally seems to have committed to a youth movement. The best examples against the Broncos were second-round drafted receiver Jack Bech and third-round drafted rookie guard Caleb Rogers. Bech logged a career-high snap count and responded by leading the team with six receptions for 50 yards while Rogers played an entire game for the first time and stood out as the Raiders’ best lineman. Peaks and valleys are to be expected when playing a lot of young players, but the upside is it can create variance. Or, as the cliché goes, young players sometimes proceed more freely and feel less pressure. That’s a luxury the Eagles don’t have. They’re under immense scrutiny, especially from their fans, to avoid blowing what looked like a runaway 3.5-game lead in the NFC East a month ago. The losing streak has their advantage down to 1.5 games over the rival Dallas Cowboys and, if they can’t hold on and fall out of the playoffs, major changes might be coming to the organization.

Problematic matchup: Eagles’ championship mettle vs. Raiders’ floundering season

Perhaps all the concern about the Eagles is overblown because of the way they’ve risen above the noise before. Two years ago, they crumbled down the stretch of the season via four losses in their last five games with reports later surfacing of a rift between the likes of Hurts, Sirianni, top receiver AJ Brown and more figures. But they repaired everything and came back stronger in 2024 en route to the organization’s second Super Bowl win in seven years. Fighting through that degree of discord and still finding success is something the Raiders haven’t done since 2021 when they reached the playoffs for the only time in Las Vegas despite a series of midseason off-field incidents. That season was the last time the Raiders faced the Eagles, as they rolled to a 33-22 victory early in the year at Allegiant Stadium. The Eagles have only lost by double digits seven more times in 83 games since then while reaching a pair of Super Bowls. The home team has shown an ability to overcome dysfunction; the road team has not.

Gamebreaker: Wide receiver Shedrick Jackson

One catch, one touchdown. That’s the third-year receiver’s NFL statistics line now after he caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Pickett in the fourth quarter of the Denver game. Carroll described the play where Pickett fired to Jackson on a post route over the middle of the field as “marvelous” and “exquisite.” He also hinted more work could be coming for Jackson going forward. The 26-year-old could be a major late bloomer. He went undrafted in 2023 after a so-so college career at Auburn where he caught only one touchdown pass in five years. Jackson spent two years with the Cincinnati Bengals, almost exclusively on their practice squad, before the Raiders signed him this offseason. He was a preseason standout, so the Raiders kept him on their practice squad before promoting him to the active roster because of injuries against the Broncos. The great nephew of Raider legend Bo Jackson is not a shoo-in to be active against the Eagles but, if he is, look for him to get involved. Shedrick Jackson has won both Carroll’s and Pickett’s trust.

Big Number: 15-10

Pickett has a 15-10 record as an NFL starting quarterback over his first three seasons, including most recently leading an Eagles’ 41-17 victory over the Cowboys in Week 17 of last year. The University of Pittsburgh graduate hasn’t quite lived up to his status as a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but his professional career hasn’t been a failure either. He made a late surge into Offensive Rookie of the Year conversations with the Steelers in 2022, before going 7-5 for the second straight year the next season and helping the franchise sneak into the playoffs. Pickett requested a trade that offseason, however, after Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson. He was dealt to his childhood favorite team, the Eagles, in exchange for draft picks and earned a Super Bowl ring as Hurts’ backup. Pickett is searching for another starting opportunity and said the experience of being a part of a championship team puts him in a better position to succeed going forward.

Best Bet (5-8): Jack Bech over 24.5 receiving yards

Not only did Bech lead the Raiders in receiving last week, but he might be the best receiver on the roster at the moment. No one else has stepped up since Las Vegas traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars midseason. Ensuing free agent add Tyler Lockett has proven to be a shell of the player he was in his prime with Smith and Carroll in Seattle. De facto No. 1 receiver Tre Tucker is too reliant on big plays and, therefore, hit or miss. Bech is a strong route runner for a rookie with sure hands. He’s not much of a downfield threat but, at an asking price this short, he doesn’t need to be. This line leaves open the possibility that Bech’s increased workload from last week doesn’t stick, but that seems like a long shot at best. It’s Bech’s time now.