STWF Sports|Nov. 18, 2025 – Geno Smith is a veteran quarterback with more than a decade of NFL experience, but in Year 12, the 35-year-old is enduring arguably the worst season of his career. Monday night in Las Vegas only added another painful chapter. As the Raiders fell 33–16 to the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium, Smith delivered a performance that felt emblematic of Las Vegas’ 2025 campaign — flashes of competence overshadowed by critical mistakes, stalled drives, and visible frustration.

A Promising Drive Turns into Disaster

Smith’s stat line — 27-of-42 for 238 yards, one touchdown, and one interception — doesn’t tell the full story. Early in the second quarter, with the Raiders trailing 17–6 but driving with momentum, Smith appeared poised to cut into Dallas’ lead. He hit Brock Bowers for 16 yards, Tyler Lockett for 15, and rookie Ashton Jeanty for a pair of eight-yard gains. It was exactly the kind of rhythm Las Vegas has struggled to build all season.

Then came the backbreaker.

Facing 1st-and-10 from the Cowboys’ 31, Smith launched a deep ball intended for Bowers — a throw the Manning brothers immediately questioned on ESPN’s Manningcast. The pass was tipped, fluttered, and ultimately intercepted by safety Markquese Bell at the seven-yard line.

Peyton Manning’s live reaction summed up the moment for Raiders fans everywhere.

“Oh no! No! No! No! No!… Dang! That’s a good drive too.”

Eli Manning was equally perplexed.

“Geno’s trying to throw it assuming that the linebacker’s not going to turn in time to get a hand on it,” he said. “You’re trying to make a play… but you’ve gotta make a good play sometimes.”

The Raiders never recovered. After the interception, the defense committed two crippling 15-yard penalties, and Dak Prescott capitalized with a 37-yard touchdown to George Pickens. Instead of a potential one-score game, Las Vegas entered halftime trailing by three possessions.

Smith Hits Breaking Point Postgame

After the Raiders’ eighth loss dropped them to 2–8, tied for the league’s second-worst record, a visibly exasperated Smith faced the media. His interception tied him with Tua Tagovailoa for the most in the NFL (13), and the weight of the season appeared to be wearing him down.

“If something doesn’t look right out there, blame it on me,” Smith said. “If it don’t look right, blame it on me. That’s all you can do. If your kids mess up at school, blame it on me. If your car breaks down going to work, blame it on me.”

It was raw. It was emotional. And it underscored the growing tension inside a Raiders offense that has been one of the worst in football.

A Once-Reborn Career Slipping Away

Smith was a success story in Seattle — a career revived after years as a backup, including his infamous 2015 jaw injury with the Jets. From 2022–2024, Smith went 27–22 as the Seahawks’ starter and earned two Pro Bowl selections. His reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas was expected to stabilize the Raiders.

Instead, it’s been the opposite.

The Raiders offense ranks:

• 30th in total yards per game (269.0 YPG)

• 31st in points per game (15.5)

Only the Tennessee Titans, at 1–8, have been worse.

Las Vegas handed Smith a two-year, $75 million extension, a move now looking like an overreach — and one new ownership figure Tom Brady and his partners may be reconsidering internally.

Cowboys Roll, Raiders Sink Deeper

While Smith struggled, Dak Prescott delivered one of his cleanest outings of the year, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns just days after the emotional loss of teammate Marshawn Kneeland. Dallas improved to 4–5–1 and looked like a team fighting with resolve.

The Raiders, meanwhile, looked like a team searching for answers.

Smith’s resilience throughout his career is unquestioned. But as Las Vegas slides further into irrelevance and the turnovers mount, the pressure is growing — and his window to turn things around may be shrinking.