The Raiders just finished a season that most fans would probably rather scrub from their memory banks entirely. Honestly, it was brutal. But if you’re looking for the answer to what's the score for Raiders, the final number of the season was a gritty 14-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
That game went down on January 4, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium.
It wasn't a masterpiece. Far from it. In fact, it was a weird, defensive slog where neither team could really get the gears turning. But for a Raiders squad that had spent the last few months tripping over its own feet, beating the Chiefs to close out the year was a massive, if somewhat confusing, emotional high.
The breakdown: How the 14-12 win happened
If you didn't catch the game live, you might look at that 14-12 score and think it was a typo. It wasn't. This was a battle of the kickers, plain and simple. Daniel Carlson, who has basically been the Raiders' most reliable scoring threat for what feels like a decade, was the hero of the day.
The highlight—and honestly the biggest roar the stadium heard all season—was Carlson’s 60-yard field goal with only eight seconds left on the clock.
Imagine the tension.
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The Raiders were down 12-11 after Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (who also had a busy day) nailed a 41-yarder with just over a minute left. Most people in the stands probably assumed the game was over. We've seen this movie before, right? The Raiders get close, only to let it slip away in the final sixty seconds. But Aidan O’Connell managed to march them just far enough down the field to give Carlson a shot.
A 60-yarder is no joke. It was a career-long for him. When it cleared the uprights, it didn't just win the game; it snapped a soul-crushing 10-game losing streak.
Key stats from the finale
- Final Score: Raiders 14, Chiefs 12.
- The Difference Maker: Daniel Carlson (4-for-4 on FGs, including the 60-yard game-winner).
- Leading Rusher: Rookie Ashton Jeanty, who put up 87 yards on 26 carries. He was a workhorse in a game where the passing attack was basically non-existent.
- Passing: Aidan O'Connell threw for a modest 102 yards. Like I said, it wasn't a shootout.
Why that score is actually a big deal
It's easy to dismiss a 14-12 win when your final record is 3-14. You’re likely thinking, "Cool, they won a meaningless game and probably messed up their draft position."
Maybe.
But you’ve got to look at the context. Heading into that game, the Raiders hadn't won a single game against an AFC West opponent all season. They hadn't beaten the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium since the place opened. Breaking that "home-field curse" against their biggest rival meant everything to the guys in that locker room.
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It was also the last game under head coach Pete Carroll. The experiment didn't work out—the team fired him the very next day—but he at least went out with a W.
A season of "what happened?"
To really understand what's the score for Raiders this year, you have to look at the 14 losses that came before that final win. It was a season defined by injuries and a revolving door at quarterback.
Maxx Crosby, the heartbeat of the defense, ended the season on Injured Reserve. Brock Bowers, who looked like a superstar in the making early on, also got hit with the injury bug. When you lose your best defensive player and your most explosive offensive weapon, the scores start looking pretty ugly.
Look at the stretch in December:
- A 31-0 shutout loss to the Eagles.
- A 34-10 blowout at the hands of the Giants.
- A heartbreaking 23-21 loss to the Texans.
By the time January 4th rolled around, the fanbase was exhausted. That 14-12 score against KC didn't fix the season, but it felt like a tiny bit of "Raider Way" pride was restored before the lights went out for the winter.
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Looking ahead to 2026
Now that the pads are off and the 2025 season is officially in the books, the focus shifts entirely to the front office. Mark Davis and GM John Spytek have a massive mountain to climb.
First order of business? A new head coach. With Carroll out, the search is on for someone who can actually modernize this offense.
Then there's the quarterback situation. Geno Smith had his moments early in the year, but O’Connell finishing the season as the starter tells you everything you need to know about the lack of certainty at that position. Don't be surprised if the Raiders use a high draft pick—ironically made a little lower by that Week 18 win—to find their next franchise QB.
Actionable next steps for fans
If you're tracking the team this offseason, here’s what you should be watching:
- Monitor the coaching search: The names usually start leaking within days of the Super Bowl. Look for someone with a heavy offensive background.
- Free Agency starts in March: The Raiders have significant cap space, but they also have huge holes at offensive tackle and in the secondary.
- Draft Prep: Keep an eye on the scouting reports for the top three quarterbacks in this year's class. The Raiders are almost certainly going to be in that conversation.
The score for the Raiders might have been 14-12 in their last outing, but the real score of their future will be decided in the draft room this April.
Next Steps for You: You can stay updated on the coaching search by following the official Raiders team site or checking the latest NFL transaction wire. If you want to dive deeper into the stats, looking at Ashton Jeanty's rookie season performance gives a much clearer picture of what this offense might look like next year.