The Las Vegas Raiders looked solid in their debut.
Granted, the New England Patriots might not be a barometer to determine that, but you can only beat whoever’s in front of you, and the Raiders did that.
Plenty of that had to do with Geno Smith.
As pointed out by Taylor Rocha, the former Seattle Seahawks star looked sharp with 362 passing yards, which is a new record for the most passing yards in a debut.
Smith completed 24 of 34 passes, adding one touchdown and one interception.
Geno Smith opens his #Raiders career with:
🔘 24/34
🔘 362 YDS
🔘 1 TD
🔘 1 INTSets the franchise record for most passing yards in a debut 🏴☠️ #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/LUbTuw5Dw4
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) September 7, 2025
Of course, the turnover was a stain in his otherwise flawless debut, but he looked solid for the most part.
Chip Kelly’s offense marched down the field with ease, and Mike Vrabel will have to dig deep into the tape to make the necessary adjustments after allowing four different pass-catchers to average at least 20 yards per catch.
There’s not much to do against a physical specimen like Brock Bowers, but it’s not like the Raiders had a lot to work with in the passing game besides him and Jakobi Meyers.
Smith is an underrated passer and a true gunslinger.
He doesn’t usually get the credit he deserves, but he looks tailor-made to elevate the Raiders’ offense once and for all after so many years of struggles.
Smith and the Raiders will head home to host the Los Angeles Chargers for a high-flying Monday Night Football divisional matchup.
And judging by what we’ve seen so far, this AFC West clash could be quite the shootout.
