Win the turnover battle, and you probably win the game.

For years, that equation worked against the Las Vegas Raiders.
They gave the ball away more than they stole it, gifting opponents free possessions and momentum.
Fumbles in critical moments. Interceptions in the red zone. Missed opportunities for takeaways that turned near-victories into post-game regret.

But through the first month of the 2025 season, something has shifted.
The Raiders aren’t just protecting the football — they’re taking it away.
The margin that once doomed them has narrowed to almost even, and inside the locker room, players say that thin line represents something much bigger than a statistic.

“It’s a mentality,” said safety Tre’von Moehrig, who already has two interceptions and a forced fumble this year. “When you stop waiting for good things to happen and start creating them, everything changes.”

II. Pete Carroll’s Blueprint for Chaos

When Pete Carroll took over in Las Vegas, analysts questioned how his trademark “turnover obsession” — the Always Compete mantra — would translate to a roster that had finished near the bottom of the league in takeaways.
Carroll’s answer was simple: culture before scheme.

“Turnovers come from energy,” Carroll said during training camp. “If you’re not swarming, hitting, and believing that the next snap can change the game, you’ll never get them.”

He installed practice periods devoted entirely to takeaway drills.
Defensive linemen chase tipped passes. Linebackers punch at footballs every rep.
Even offensive players are graded on ball security, with fines for careless carries in practice.

At first, players laughed. Then they started seeing results.

By Week 4, the Raiders had forced nine turnovers — already half their 2024 total.
The difference wasn’t just coaching; it was belief.

III. The Ghost of 2024

To understand why this turnaround matters, you have to remember how painful last season’s margin was.

The 2024 Raiders finished –9 in turnover differential, ranking 28th in the NFL.
Every close game seemed to swing on one disastrous sequence: a strip-sack here, a late pick there.
They lost four games by one possession or less — all featuring at least one lost fumble or interception.

“We were playing good football in stretches,” recalled edge rusher Maxx Crosby. “But one mistake would erase three quarters of hard work. That eats at you.”

Carroll and general manager Tom Telesco studied every giveaway from 2024.
They categorized them into themes: pressure misreads, careless exchanges, forced hero throws.
Then they built solutions into the offseason plan — from new footwork drills for quarterbacks to stricter contact emphasis for ball carriers.

IV. Quarterback Care: Protecting the Asset

Every turnaround begins with the quarterback.
Aidan O’Connell, now in his second year as starter, understood that turnovers weren’t just mistakes — they were momentum crimes.

Under new offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, O’Connell’s reads have simplified.
Shorter drops. Quicker timing. Built-in safety valves.
He’s gone from eight interceptions in his rookie year’s first six games to just one through four weeks this season.

“I used to think big plays had to come from big risks,” O’Connell said. “Now I know they come from big decisions — knowing when to take what the defense gives.”

Carroll loves to describe quarterbacks as “the first line of defense.”
If the offense protects the ball, the defense has more chances to attack.
It’s complementary football in its purest form.

V. The Maxx Crosby Effect

No player embodies the turnover culture shift more than Maxx Crosby, the emotional centerpiece of the team.

Crosby’s strip-sack against the Steelers in Week 3 changed everything.
It wasn’t just a play; it was a symbol.
One arm clawed the football loose while the other dragged the quarterback to the ground.
The Raiders recovered, scored four plays later, and the sideline erupted as if they’d exorcised a ghost.

“That was our pivot point,” said linebacker Robert Spillane. “We stopped reacting to turnovers — we started hunting them.”

Crosby now leads the AFC in forced fumbles and ranks top-five in pressures.
But it’s the contagious effect that matters more.
Every defender now attacks the ball like it owes them something.

VI. The Takeaway Trinity: Moehrig, Bennett, and Hobbs

Secondary coach Ricky Manning Jr. calls them “the sharks”:
Tre’von Moehrig, Jakorian Bennett, and Nate Hobbs — the trio fueling the defensive resurgence.

Moehrig’s range has turned the Raiders’ single-high coverages into a weapon.
Bennett’s closing speed allows for aggressive press techniques without fear of getting beat deep.
And Hobbs, finally healthy, has rediscovered the slot-corner ferocity that made him a breakout star in 2022.

“We’re synchronized now,” Hobbs said. “When the ball’s in the air, it feels like a feeding frenzy.”

That synchronization shows up in film.
In 2024, Las Vegas defenders deflected just 49 passes. Through four weeks of 2025, they already have 28.
Tips lead to turnovers — and now they’re coming in bunches.

VII. The Offensive Counterpart: Ball Security Above All

While the defense learned to take the ball away, the offense learned how not to give it back.

Running backs Josh Jacobs and Zamir White both carry footballs dipped in baby oil during ball-security periods, a Carroll trademark dating back to his Seattle days.
Wide receivers are graded on “finish-through-contact” drills.

“If we can touch the ball 60 times and never let it go, that’s 60 small victories,” Jacobs said.

The results are measurable:

• Fumbles lost: Down from 12 to 3.

• Drops leading to picks: None so far.

• Sack-fumbles: Only one, recovered by the offense.