It can be difficult to accurately assess which schedules are easier than others in the National Football League. While strength of schedule is a neat analytic, it says more about how teams did against other clubs the year prior than it does about how good teams are this year. Rest disparity can be a good measure of toughness; using this metric, the Las Vegas Raiders have one brutal schedule ahead of them.
Sharp Analysis broke it down. In 2025, Sin City’s football team has: the most rest disadvantage games (6), the lowest net rest days in the NFL (-19; lowest league-wide), and the fewest rest edge games (1).
Yikes.
Luckily for the Raiders, there’s a veteran quarterback and veteran head coach in town who are no strangers to the rigors of an NFL season. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll, the quarterback-head coach duo that reunited with the Silver and Black, should have little problems keeping their squad focused and ready as the weeks go on.
On the bright side, the Raiders have a bye in Week 8 before their Week 9 and 10 contests that are only four days apart. Then, Sin City’s Week 11 matchup falls on Monday Night Football, giving Geno Smith and company plenty of time to rest.
Regardless of the way the schedule falls, the mission remains the same for Las Vegas: start hot, end strong. And with a favorite stretch of schedule to start the season, that goal is plenty attainable.
Especially with Smith and Carroll at the helm of the team; one as player, and the other as head coach.
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