Raiders most to blame for late-game meltdown vs. Bears

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Raiders most to blame for late-game meltdown vs. Bears

Enzo Flojo, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Sep 30, 2025 ·

5 min read

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The post Raiders most to blame for late-game meltdown vs. Bears appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The Las Vegas Raiders continue to find new ways to frustrate their fanbase. What could have been a much-needed bounce-back win turned into another demoralizing defeat. This time, it came at the hands of the Chicago Bears . Las Vegas had a dominant rushing performance that should have sealed the game. The Raiders , though, gave the game away with costly turnovers, mental lapses, and a blocked field goal in the final minute. The 25-24 loss dropped the Raiders to 1-3 and raised even more questions about their direction in 2025.

Game recap

The Raiders opened the Week 4 game with a punishing ground attack. They racked up 240 rushing yards , including a career-high 138 yards and three touchdowns from Ashton Jeanty . The rookie back gashed Chicago repeatedly. He provided the kind of spark Las Vegas has lacked all season. Yet for every highlight run, there seemed to be an equally damaging mistake elsewhere. Quarterback Geno Smith threw three interceptions. Those killed drives and gave Chicago short fields.

Even so, the Raiders had a chance to escape Soldier Field with a win. Down by one with under a minute left, they lined up for a 54-yard field goal attempt. Instead of redemption, disaster struck again. Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell broke through and blocked the kick. It sealed the game and sent Las Vegas to its third straight loss.

Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Las Vegas Raiders who are most to blame for Week 4 loss to Bears.

Isaiah Pola-Mao remains a liability

The Raiders' secondary has been a weak spot all season. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao once again drew unwanted attention. On Chicago's lone passing touchdown, Pola-Mao failed to rotate over the top on a post route. That left cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly stranded. The result was an easy scoring strike to Rome Odunze that swung momentum back to the Bears.

This wasn't an isolated miscue. According to PFF, Pola-Mao has already been directly responsible for two touchdowns in four games. He also holds the lowest grade among safeties with at least 59 snaps. His positioning issues and hesitation in coverage have put Las Vegas in vulnerable situations time and again. At some point, the Raiders may need to consider a change in the back end. That's because Pola-Mao's continued mistakes are costing them points.

Devin White 's struggles pile up

Linebacker Devin White filled up the stat sheet with nine tackles. However, context tells a different story. Too many of those stops came after big gains. White repeatedly found himself targeted in coverage. Chicago attacked him eight times, completing five passes for 68 yards. That was the most yards allowed by any Raiders defender.

Worse still, White missed two tackles and posted a poor grade against the run. For someone brought in to be a sideline-to-sideline enforcer, his performance has been far from elite. White has to be better, plain and simple.

Jakobi Meyers fails to deliver

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers wasn't solely to blame for Las Vegas' passing woes. Still, his fingerprints were all over the loss. All three of Geno Smith 's interceptions came on throws intended for Meyers. Yes, some of that falls on Smith's decision-making. That said, Meyers didn't help matters with poor route execution and missed blocks.

Adding to the frustration, Meyers was flagged for a crucial holding penalty that wiped out a first down. In this kind of game, those kinds of mistakes are killers. With CeeDee Lamb sidelined and Tre Tucker beginning to emerge as a reliable weapon, the Raiders need Meyers to be a steady presence.

Geno Smith's costly mistakes

Ultimately, though, the biggest culprit was quarterback Geno Smith. He was paid $37.5 million a year to be the steady veteran presence this offense needed. Now, Smith is instead leading the NFL in interceptions with seven. Against Chicago, he threw three backbreaking picks, missed open receivers, and delivered a poorly timed ball to Dont'e Thornton Jr near the goal line that could have sealed the game.

What makes it worse is that these aren't just turnovers. These are rookie-level mistakes from a 12-year veteran. Smith continues to stare down reads and hesitate on timing routes. The contrast between Jeanty's breakout and Smith's collapse could not have been starker. The Raiders had everything they needed to win on the ground. However, Smith's carelessness through the air undid it all.

Las Vegas isn't getting Stafford-level production for Stafford-level money. Instead, they're paying a premium for play that resembles the worst of Jameis Winston 's high-turnover tendencies. That math just doesn't add up.

Bottom line

The Raiders' 25-24 loss to the Bears was a case study in how to squander a winnable game. Isaiah Pola-Mao's coverage lapse, Devin White's defensive struggles, Jakobi Meyers' mistakes, and Geno Smith's turnover parade all combined to erase Ashton Jeanty 's brilliant day. Add in a blocked field goal in the final seconds, and the meltdown was complete.

At 1-3, the Raiders have a crisis. Their schedule isn't getting easier, and the margin for error is shrinking. If Las Vegas can't clean up the mistakes and find more reliable quarterback play, they'll soon be looking at another lost season.

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