4-game skid ended as Raiders’ defense propels team past Titans

The four-game losing streak for the Las Vegas Raiders is finally over.

Sunday afternoon Las Vegas pushed past Tennessee, 20-10, Sunday, Oct. 12 from Allegiant Stadium in a Week 6 matchup to end a four-game skid. It’s the team’s first win since Week 1 against New England.

“Great team win,” linebacker Devin White said. “Just proud to go out there with these guys and just dominate.”

In its third home showing of the year, the Raiders earned their first win of the season inside of Allegiant Stadium. Now with a 2-4 overall record, the club will look to begin its first win streak of the year.

“I was really proud of that one because that gives us a chance to play regular football,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “So that’s a good start [...] Glad the fans got to see us win one.”

Up next, Las Vegas will head back to the road for a divisional matchup against Kansas City. That game is set for Sunday, Oct. 19 from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 10 a.m.

“It’s just something to build on,” White said. “It’s easy to make corrections when you win because you know we didn’t play a full complete game. Going into this week, we already know who’s on the schedule and we’re ready to go get after them.

“They haven’t been playing their best ball this year either. So it’s like, who can be more locked in and more focused.”

In the most recent win, the Raiders defense was spot-on for a vast majority of the game forcing five punts on the day. It kept constant pressure on this past draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward.

Las Vegas racked up eight quarterback hits and six sacks against Ward. Defensive end Maxx Crosby was responsible for two of those sacks and three of those quarterback hits while adding two more tackles for loss.

“When we play complimentary football, we can take our chances,” White said. “That starts with just owning the front. Starts with owning the front and then the backend playing complimentary football with the frontend and we did that today.”

White picked up a sack of his own in the second quarter but also would force one of the two Ward fumbles in the win. Teammate Tyree Wilson scooped up the loose ball for a fumble recovery while first-year Raider Thomas Booker recovered the other fumble later in the contest.

“I knew I wanted to come in here and be cool, calm and collected,” White said. “We had a positive mindset on the sideline. Whether it went good or went bad, we just stayed in it.”

White had his best game of the year with nine total tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, pass deflection, quarterback hit, a forced fumble and an interception. That marked his first interception since 2023.

“I feel like I got a lot more work to do [to reach that all-pro level again],” he said. “I’ve got to clean some things up, man. Sometimes, I just be running too damn fast but, at the end of the day I’d rather run fast than be out there not giving my all for my team.”

As a result of the relentless pursuit, Las Vegas didn’t allow its first point of the game until late in the third quarter on a 46-yard field goal by Tennessee. It would allow its lone touchdown about a full quarter later in the fourth.

“Five or six sacks – whatever you guys count up,” Carroll said. “I’m not sure what that is but there were a lot of guys who contributed. Maxx got doubled all day long and still got two sacks and had a big game. I don’t know anybody could put up more numbers than Devin White did today.”

The Raiders offense was uplifted by a pair of 13-play drives on the team’s opening possession of each half. Both scores would prove to be enough for the eventual win.

While lengthy, the first 13-play drive ended in a made field goal from kicker Daniel Carlson. Coming out of halftime, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty found the end zone for his only touchdown of the day as part of a 75-yard outing on 23 carries.

Quarterback Geno Smith had his fair share of trouble as well. He was hit seven times and sacked twice before being seen limping late in regulation.

“I thought Geno played a really solid game,” Carroll said. “This is the game we were trying to play and we would’ve liked to explode a little bit more.”

When Smith had success through the air early, it was to tight end Michael Mayer who caught his only touchdown pass of the win. Mayer finished the day with 50 yards on five catches.

Last year rookie standout Brock Bowers missed his second straight game with a knee injury.

“He had a big game,” Carroll said of Mayer. “He’s been waiting for weeks to get back out there so he’s pretty hungry for it. A couple of terrific catch-and-runs and then the touchdown play was studly play.”

Smith’s first pass of 10 or more yards didn’t come until the fourth quarter. Shortly after, he’d launch his league-leading 10th interception downfield.

At the final horn, he compiled 174 yards on 17-of-23 through the air with a touchdown and an interception.

“If you don’t give [the ball] up, you win 75% of the time if you just don’t turn it over,” Carroll said. “To be in the plus is important. We’ve got to get our numbers back up so we’re in the plus for the season, it’s going to be a bit but we’re going to get there.”