Raiders Run Defense Struggles Seahawks Preseason 2025

The Raiders’ run defense struggles Seahawks preseason 2025 were on full display as Seattle fans welcomed Pete Carroll back to Lumen Field with warm applause. Despite the energy in the stadium, the reunion quickly turned sour for Carroll when his defense, once the foundation of his coaching legacy, gave up big plays early and often against a Seahawks squad he knows all too well.

A Worrying First Quarter

After a review this was ruled a TD for George Holani and the @Seahawks 😤

LVvsSEA on @NFLNetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025

Coming off a 2024 season in which they ranked 13th in the NFL against the run — allowing an average of 116.9 yards per game — the Raiders were expected to build on that foundation. Instead, they stumbled out of the gate.

In just the first quarter, Seattle racked up 68 rushing yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Rookie running back George Holani was the driving force, amassing 61 yards on seven carries, highlighted by a 24-yard dash that cut through Las Vegas’s defensive front and set up his scoring run.

The most alarming part? The Raiders opened with most of their starting defense on the field, and several key starters stayed in for the entire quarter. Meanwhile, the Seahawks did not have their starting offensive unit in the game. These weren’t Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonnet making the runs — they were backups and rookies finding daylight against what was supposed to be the Raiders’ best defensive lineup.

Preseason Context — and Why This Still Matters

Coaches and players will remind you that preseason stats don’t carry over into the regular season, but that doesn’t mean performances like this should be ignored. Preseason is about evaluating execution, fundamentals, and depth.

For defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the biggest red flags will be:

• Gap integrity — multiple plays saw linebackers and defensive tackles over-pursue, leaving cutback lanes wide open.
• Tackling efficiency — several missed tackles allowed modest gains to turn into chunk plays.
• Defensive line push — the Raiders struggled to collapse the pocket or disrupt running lanes early in downs.

Against AFC West rivals with strong ground games — such as the Denver Broncos with Javonte Williams or the Kansas City Chiefs using Isaiah Pacheco in downhill runs — lapses like this could prove costly.

Rookie Spotlight: Ashton Jeanty Offers a Silver Lining

Not everything in this game was negative for Las Vegas. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, made his preseason debut and showed flashes of the dynamic ability that made him a top selection.

Jeanty displayed:

• Excellent vision in finding narrow lanes.
• Patience behind blockers, allowing plays to develop.
• Quick, decisive cutting ability in space.

While his stat line wasn’t earth-shattering, his burst and field awareness suggest he could become a key contributor in the Raiders’ offense early in the season. The coaching staff has praised his work ethic throughout training camp, and this game gave a glimpse into his potential impact.

Read more about Jeanty’s draft profile and college career at NFL.com Draft Tracker.

The Pete Carroll Factor

Thursday night’s game also marked Pete Carroll’s return to Seattle — now as the head coach of the Raiders. Carroll spent 14 seasons with the Seahawks, leading them to two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.

His return to Lumen Field was met with a mix of warm applause from Seattle fans and competitive fire on the field. However, this reunion didn’t go as Carroll would have hoped, as his defense — the very unit he built his coaching reputation on — was gashed early and often by a team he knows inside and out.

Adjustments Needed Before Week 2

The Raiders will have just over a week to correct these defensive issues before facing the San Francisco 49ers in their second preseason game on Saturday, August 16. Expect Graham and Carroll to:

• Rotate in younger defensive linemen to see if fresh legs bring more push.
• Emphasize tackling drills and gap discipline in practice.
• Possibly experiment with different linebacker alignments to counter outside runs.

The 49ers, who run one of the NFL’s most creative rushing offenses under Kyle Shanahan, will provide a stiff test. If the Raiders can’t patch up their run defense quickly, things could get even uglier in Week 2.

The full Raiders preseason schedule is available on Raiders.com.

Bottom Line

Preseason or not, getting run over by backups while your starters are on the field is never a good look. The Raiders’ defensive lapses were clear, and fixing them will require urgency, not excuses.

The good news? It’s still August, and there’s time to correct course before the games count for real. The bad news? In the hyper-competitive AFC West, even small weaknesses are quickly exploited — and on Thursday night, the Raiders’ run defense looked like more than just a small weakness.