LAS VEGAS — Countless moments could describe the Raiders’ evening of despair in their 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football.”
Among them were Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver George Pickens picking apart the Raiders’ defense. Another was a tipped pass resulting in Raiders quarterback Geno Smith increasing his interception total to 13. Then there was Dallas lining up in victory formation with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter while “Let’s go, Cowboys” chants echoed throughout Allegiant Stadium.
Perhaps the biggest and most head-scratching was the Raiders’ unbalanced offensive approach that was the driving force in their descent to 2-8 for the second straight season. Las Vegas went with a designed pass on 84% of its plays — the team’s highest rate in a game since 2012.
However, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty — the sixth pick in this year’s draft — had six carries for 7 yards. He got just two in the first half. Following Pete Carroll’s fourth straight loss, the coach admitted to influencing the team’s offensive game plan, hoping it could create explosive plays early and then focus on the run game in the second half.
“There was a bunch of play-action passes. And I really wanted to see us do that,” Carroll said after Las Vegas totaled 27 yards on 12 carries. “There’s only one person to look at, me, because I was an influence in the game plan. … [Offensive coordinator] Chip [Kelly] and I knew what was going on.”
Indeed, the Raiders were effective in the play-action game at times. Smith was a perfect 5-of-5 for 70 yards on play-action passes in the first quarter. He finished the game with 132 of 238 yards coming from such plays. Meanwhile, tight end Brock Bowers was effective, totaling seven catches for 72 yards on 12 targets.
But Las Vegas’ heavy emphasis on the pass game came at the cost of abandoning what was meant to be the bread and butter of the offense. And the results still reflect what the Raiders have displayed in previous weeks. Las Vegas had 236 total yards and failed to score at least 20 points for the fourth time in 2025.
The Raiders’ four carries in the first and second quarters were their fewest in an opening half since 2008 (Week 9 vs. the Atlanta Falcons — three rushes). Las Vegas had only one designed run in three trips to the red zone. Carroll said the Raiders once again fighting from behind contributed to their lack of run plays.
“I don’t really care about pleasing people with our run/pass mix. I’m trying to move the football,” Carroll said. “I wanted to get the ball to Brock a bunch and see what he could do. … I’m responsible for that.”
Jeanty came to Las Vegas with the expectation of being heavily featured in the game plan. His rookie season has found him in the middle of a tug-of-war on how to utilize the former Heisman Trophy finalist.
“It’s up to the guys upstairs,” said Jeanty — who had 60 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries last week against the Denver Broncos. “I just take whatever I can get. … I can’t control [my workload].”
With 13:29 to go in the second quarter, Jeanty burst up the middle for an 11-yard carry. He didn’t receive another handoff until the start of the third quarter, when he was pushed out of bounds for a 3-yard loss.
The Raiders didn’t even try to run the ball with Jeanty after Maxx Crosby‘s strip sack in the first quarter put them at Dallas’ 15-yard line. Smith was sacked for a 7-yard loss before the offense failed to get a first down on the following two plays, resulting in a field goal.
“I’m not the offensive coordinator, so at the end of the day, whatever they call, I’m going to run,” said Jordan Meredith, who played right guard instead of center on Monday. “… You always want to get the run game going, especially when you have somebody like Jeanty.”
Another wrinkle in the Raiders’ plan was injuries to the offensive line. Las Vegas played against an upgraded Cowboys’ defensive front without left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, both of whom are on IR with ankle injuries. The Raiders had Will Putnam making his first career start at center.
The talent discrepancy was noticeable.
Jeanty had four carries that resulted in no gain or a loss of yards. In the fourth quarter, he was swarmed by multiple Dallas defenders, leading to a safety. Las Vegas’ offensive line didn’t provide much support in the pass game, either. Smith was pressured on 16-of-49 dropbacks.
“It’s not about doing anything more. We have great practices, we work hard, and when it comes to game time, just do your job. Everybody’s got to do their job,” Jeanty said.
