Some losses linger longer than others, and Sunday’s defeat in Cleveland carried that weight for Las Vegas. The Raiders watched the same script unfold again: a defense that fought, an offense that sputtered, and a season slipping further out of reach. With the playoffs no longer realistic, frustration finally surfaced from the team’s most relentless voice.

Maxx Crosby acknowledged what many fans already sensed. The Raiders aren’t playing for January anymore. After the 24–10 loss, Crosby admitted their mindset had shifted weeks ago.

“At this point, you know you’re not playing for the playoffs,” he said. “You can cry and moan… at this point you play for the love of the game.” His honesty landed like a gut punch for a fanbase already struggling to stomach another lost season.

The Browns exposed the Raiders. Cleveland’s pass rush humiliated the Las Vegas offensive line, piling up a season-high 10 sacks. Myles Garrett broke the Browns’ single-season sack record with three takedowns, while eight different defenders reached Geno Smith. With that, Sanders connected with WR Isaiah Bond for a 52-yard gain and threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to RB Dylan Sampson. The Raiders had no answer.

Meanwhile, Smith, stepping in for Aidan O’Connell, did very little to alleviate the pain. The Raiders could only muster four third-down conversions, and penalties piled up to a whopping 109 yards. Fans who made the trip watched yet another winnable game slip away long before the final whistle blew.

Through it all, Crosby stood firm. He talked about leadership, maintaining composure, and staying focused despite a dismal record. “You don’t start playing different because you’re in the playoffs or not,” he said. “Take it one play at a time… stay locked in on what’s most important, and that’s winning the play.”

Las Vegas didn’t win many plays on Sunday. And the season’s competitive meaning is gone. But Crosby made clear he’ll continue fighting even if he now admits the fight is only for pride. However, the frustration wasn’t limited to the locker room. On the field and in the stands, emotions boiled over, especially with the quarterback.

Geno Smith sparks outrage after flipping off Raiders fans

Some moments feel like turning points, and Sunday in Las Vegas had that energy. The boos were familiar. The frustration was expected. But the sight of Geno Smith appearing to flip off heckling Raiders fans as he walked off the field cut through the stadium like a warning flare. The clip went viral within minutes, and for a fanbase already boiling, it was gasoline on the fire.

The incident came after another brutal offensive showing in a 24-10 loss to the Browns, a game defined by chaos around Smith. He was sacked 10 times, pressured constantly, and repeatedly hammered behind an offensive line that never settled in. Smith finished 30-of-44 for 285 yards and a touchdown, but the 10 sacks in total told the real story. “It’s really on me,” Smith said after the loss. “I’ve got to make better plays… find a way.” Fans didn’t buy it, unleashing waves of boos from his first drive to his last.

Head coach Pete Carroll defended his quarterback, placing the blame on protection rather than decision-making. “We have to protect the quarterback a whole lot better than we did,” Carroll said. Yet the Raiders refused to insert rookies Caleb Rogers or Charles Grant, baffling former linemen and analysts who questioned why Las Vegas stayed with a collapsing unit.

Now, all eyes are on Smith’s future. His extension is starting to look like a major organizational blunder, and with him turning 36 next season, he’s not exactly a long-term solution. Letting him go would mean $18.5 million in dead money, but the front office might be getting close to that decision. A coaching change could make things even simpler, as a new staff would likely not build around him.

For now, the Raiders head toward Week 13 with a quarterback under fire, an offense unable to protect him, and a viral middle-finger moment that may define Smith’s short, turbulent stop in silver and black.