Pete Carroll didn’t have time for a rebuild, we were told.
“We’re starting right now and going for it immediately. … We’re going to … build this team as quickly as we can,” the Raiders coach said at his introductory news conference.
The team’s actions mirrored the 2014 Super Bowl winner’s words, with this win-now mentality illustrated by contrasting the first draft picks of his Seattle and Vegas eras:
- In 2010, when the 59-year-old former USC champion took charge in Seattle, his franchise passed on the flashy running back (C.J. Spiller), wisely choosing to reinforce the offensive line with left tackle Russell Okung in the first round.
- But this year in Vegas, 74-year-old Carroll and first-year general manager John Spytek put the proverbial cart before the horse by drafting running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6, one spot ahead of tackle Armand Membou, likely a future Pro Bowler for the Jets.
Just 11 months later, and 2-14 Vegas is all but officially the league’s worst team, with a 77 percent shot at the No. 1 pick. The running game was far from the only problem, but Jeanty predictably struggled behind the league’s worst offensive line, which gave runners just 0.46 yards before contact, the worst mark among any of the 512 NFL teams since 2010. 🤯
Carroll and Spytek inherited the league’s worst roster, but treated a team that’d just gone 4-13 as if it were a few players away from the playoffs. More below on this surprising setback.
While the Raiders had a season to forget, there’s plenty to remember elsewhere about 2025 (especially for Carroll’s former team, the NFC-leading Seahawks). Other top picks:
The emergence of Drake Maye. He leads the league in completion percentage (71.7) and passer rating (112.9) while throwing for 4,203 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions for the 13-3 Patriots. He’ll likely join Patrick Mahomes (2018) and Lamar Jackson (2019) as the only quarterbacks since 2000 to win MVPs in their second seasons.
The excellence of Myles Garrett. He’s one sack shy of breaking the single-season record of 22.5 after Pittsburgh’s constant double-teams helped maintain the record shared by T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan. He could leapfrog both during Sunday’s matchup against Joe Burrow, whom Garrett sacked twice in Week 1 (he has 15 sacks in 13 career games against Cincy).
A few other 2025 wrap-ups I found on the internet:
Most-searched player: Shedeur Sanders. A fifth-round QB was the world’s third-most-Googled athlete, not just football player. Shame on us all.
Most-upvoted quote on Reddit: “I used to see guys sitting at the bar by themselves eating, and I used to feel so bad for them, and now I realize: That dude was in heaven,” said 40-year-old Joe Flacco.
Most popular game highlights on the NFL’s YouTube channel: Ravens at Bills, Week 1, 6.4 million views. It would’ve made for an epic AFC Championship Game, and a rematch still could, if Baltimore wins Sunday night.
Most expensive team tickets: The reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles, who began the season with their average home ticket selling for $475 per game. Browns tickets were one-third the price, at $158 per. You get what you pay for, typically.
Most popular card: Rookie Jayden Daniels cards were the most-graded of the year — with 236,100 cards professionally assessed, Daniels finished ahead of Michael Jordan (206,000) and Shohei Ohtani (165,400) among all athletes. Our sports-cards year in review has more.
In this spirit, my colleague Steven Louis Goldstein shared the best games we saw in 2025 across all sports. Over to Mike Sando for the most unexpected moments of the NFL season.
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Sando’s Pick: Nine eye-poppers
Every NFL season delivers surprises. This one delivered shockers. Nine bets you wish you would have made in August:
The long-retired Philip Rivers throwing more touchdown passes in December (four) than Jackson (three), Mahomes (zero) and Daniels (zero) combined.
Drake Maye entering Week 18 as the MVP favorite. He was a 50-1 shot, same as Kyler Murray, before the season.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier and QB Tua Tagovailoa losing their jobs in-season, while coach Mike McDaniel kept his (Miami can surpass its 7.5-win Vegas total by beating the Patriots).
The Bears wrapping up the NFC North title before they played in Week 17, while the rest of the division was in various stages of disarray (as Packers coach Matt LaFleur stressed that Jordan Love remained the No. 1 QB ahead of Malik Willis).
Denver, New England and Jacksonville entering Week 18 holding the top three spots in the AFC. They have combined for 38 wins (25.5 preseason Vegas total).
The 49ers finishing ahead of the Rams in the NFC West and contending for the No. 1 seed in the conference despite Nick Bosa missing 14 games, Fred Warner missing 11, Brock Purdy missing eight and George Kittle missing six.
New Orleans‘ new coach/QB combo (Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough) winning more games than Las Vegas’ (Carroll and Geno Smith).
George Pickens easily outgaining Cowboys teammate CeeDee Lamb (1,420 yards to 1,073 entering Week 18 — 32 percent more).
Carroll’s Raiders being on pace to have as many fired coordinators (Chip Kelly and special teams coach Tom McMahon) as victories (they have a 2-14 record entering Sunday’s game against Kansas City, with the Chiefs favored by 5.5 points, even without Mahomes).
Back to you, Jacob.
Revisiting Predictions
On any given Sunday, one catch, injury or unnecessary roughness call in Patrick Mahomes’ favor can alter everything. As chaos theory teaches, these tiny changes can lead to unpredictable differences in outcomes later on.
That’s my way of excusing my incorrect preseason predictions, and emphasizing how impressive some of my colleagues’ takes were.
Here’s what I expected:
1. Most disappointed: Commanders fans. “Anything but a playoff appearance will be disappointing; they’ll be lucky to get that,” I wrote. Verdict: ✅. It’s back to basics in Washington after falling from 12-5 to 4-12.
2. Best rookies: Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson and Ravens DE Mike Green. Henderson has nearly 1,100 all-purpose yards, but hasn’t been a consistent contributor for the Pats. Neither is Green in Baltimore, with 3.5 sacks and one start. Verdict: ❌.
Defensive Rookie of the Year should go to Browns LB Carson Schwesinger, while a strong performance against the Falcons will see Saints QB Shough overtake Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan as the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
3. Surprise fantasy breakout: Luther Burden III. It took 17 weeks before the Chicago rookie emerged last Sunday, with eight catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. Verdict: ❌. Too late. I should’ve gone with Cleveland’s Harold Fannin Jr., who has 72 receptions, 744 total yards, seven touchdowns and the fourth-most fantasy points for a rookie tight end in NFL history.
4. Narrative-changing coach: Brian Schottenheimer. The offseason promotion was met with skepticism, but the former Dallas OC helped orchestrate the league’s top passing attack and guide the Cowboys through shocking tragedy. Verdict: ✅. Dallas needs a defense, not a new head coach.
5. Toughest division: NFC West. The top three teams — Seahawks, 49ers and Rams — have combined to go 36-12 this season. Even counting the Cardinals’ 3-13 record, this is the winningest division in the NFL. Verdict: ✅.
6. Super Bowl: Ravens vs. Packers. It’s still possible, but I’m skeptical of both their chances. Among playoff teams, they sit 12th and 13th, respectively, in our Power Rankings, and it feels appropriate. The Packers are without Micah Parsons, and the Ravens — my preseason Super Bowl pick — are a Week 18 loss away from missing the postseason.
In our Playoff Simulator, the Seahawks now lead our projected list of Super Bowl winners (17 percent). Michael-Shawn Dugar investigated whether Seattle has the offense to make a playoff run. Well worth your time.
🎙 What went wrong? “The Athletic Football Show” dives deep into the Lions, Chiefs and Ravens to unpack what happened to the Super Bowl favorites.
Extra Points
📈 Stock moves. Jeff Howe spoke to NFL executives to learn how quarterbacks like Oregon’s Dante Moore and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza can improve their draft stock during the College Football Playoff. The full story is here.
🤝 Clinched? The playoff implications — from seeding to berths — of every Week 18 game are covered here. Yes, there’s a chance the Jaguars and 49ers are the top seeds.
👋 Goodbye. Everything in Buffalo ran through a singular tunnel inside Highmark Stadium. Tim Graham shared stories from those unfriendly confines before Sunday’s final game. The Bills will move to a new stadium next season.
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: Our latest mock draft, which has a new No. 1.
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