Believe it or not, the Las Vegas Raiders are not as far behind in the pecking order of the AFC conference as many think. Below are three reasons why the Silver and Black can speed up the process and earn a spot in the postseason in year one under new head coach Pete Carroll. In two seasons in Seattle, the pairing won 18 games and reached the playoffs in 2022, only to get bounced to the NFC runner-up. On the contrary, Smith was 1-4 as a starter in 2021, but made the Pro Bowl a year later.