The Raiders end a 4-game skid by dominating on defense to beat the Titans 20-10

LAS VEGAS (AP) — It was Devin White and Maxx Crosby and Jonah Laulu and seemingly every defender wearing Raiders silver and black.

Las Vegas' defense, which allowed at least 40 points in two of the past three games, came at Tennessee in droves on Sunday.

The result was a suffocating 20-10 victory over the Titans.

The Raiders (2-4) ended a four-game skid, and the Titans (1-5) missed an opportunity to win consecutive games for the first time since November of 2022, a 47-game stretch.

“We've been talking like we want to play good football for a long time,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. “It just hasn't come together yet. The last time we won was such a long time ago, we can't even remember it, but (the victory is) really important for us. These guys deserve to feel like they feel right now.”

Neither of the struggling teams did much on offense. They combined for 451 yards.

Las Vegas won fairly easily despite pedestrian numbers from Geno Smith (174 yards and one touchdown passing) and Ashton Jeanty (75 yards and a TD on a 3.3-yards-per-play average).

Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the top overall pick in the NFL draft, was 26 of 38 for 222 yards. He connected with David Martin-Robinson for the second-year tight end's first career TD.

The Raiders set the tone in the first half, when they shut out the Titans. It was the first time Las Vegas has blanked an opponent in a half since the second half against New Orleans last Dec. 29.

The teams combined for 2.39 yards per play in the first half, the lowest since Baltimore and Jacksonville combined to average 1.80 on Oct. 24, 2011.

It didn't help the Titans that they lost wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the second quarter to a hamstring injury. He was coming off a five-catch, 131-yard performance a week ago at Arizona.

The day belonged to defense, at least on the Raiders' side.

White resembled the player who was a top defender for Tampa Bay earlier this decade, finishing with nine tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. He joins Khalil Mack in 2016 and Trace Armstrong in 2002 as the only Raiders players since 1999 with a sack, forced fumble and interception.

“I don’t know anybody could put up more numbers than Devin White did today,” Carroll said. “Geez, it’s a stat line.”

The Raiders pressured Ward consistently and sacked him six times, tying the QB's season high. Las Vegas sent pressure on 36.4% of dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, a season high.

That strategy seemed to surprise the Titans.

“They did a good job mixing up some coverages,” Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said. “They pressured a lot more this game than they had going into it. They zero blitzed us (with no deep safety) a few times, which is not something they had done a lot of.”

Crosby had two sacks. He has a nine-game streak with at least one tackle for loss, the longest for a Raiders player since 2008. Laulu recorded his fourth sack in six games, the first Raiders defensive tackle to accomplish that since Bill Pickel in 1986.

“This is a good feeling knowing we go to work every day and we practice really hard,” Laulu said. “You guys should see the stuff we do out there as a D-line. It's just us coming together collectively and pushing each other. Our mindset is to be the heartbeat of the team.”

Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons picked up another sack, extending his streak to three games.

Carroll won his 171st game, moving him into a tie for 17th with Bill Parcells.

The Las Vegas Aces, who won their third WNBA championship in four years on Friday when they completed a four-game sweep of Phoenix, were honored before the game. They received a video tribute and lit the Al Davis memorial torch as fans roared. Davis' son, Mark, owns the Aces and Raiders.

Titans: K Joey Slye (calf) did not play. He was replaced by Matthew Wright, who was signed to the practice squad this week. ... OLB Femi Oladejo (calf) was injured in the third quarter.

Raiders: TE Brock Bowers (knee) missed his second game in a row. ... P AJ Cole (ankle) played after getting injured the week before. ... RB Dylan Laube (hamstring) was hurt in the second half.

Titans: Host New England on Sunday.

Raiders: Visit AFC West rival Kansas City on Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after sacking Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (96) pressures Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll celebrates after Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) scored a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Leki Fotu (95) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the the Tennessee Titans during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

President Donald Trump posted Wednesday on social media that anything less than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable,” hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote.

On Iran, Trump's threat to impose a 25% tax on imports from countries doing business with the Islamic Republic could raise prices for U.S. consumers and further inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%.

And as Senate Republicans face intense pressure from Trump to vote down a war powers resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting him from carrying out more military action against Venezuela, an AP-NORC poll conducted after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture found that 56% of U.S. adults think Trump has overstepped on military interventions abroad, while majorities disapprove of how he's handling foreign policy.

The Latest:

China’s trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s onslaught of higher tariffs.

China’s exports rose 5.5% for the whole of last year to $3.77 trillion, customs data showed, as Chinese automakers and other manufacturers expanded into markets across the globe. Imports flatlined at $2.58 trillion. The 2024 trade surplus was over $992 billion.

In December, China’s exports climbed 6.6% from the year before in dollar terms, better than economists’ estimates and higher than November’s 5.9% year-on-year increase. Imports in December were up 5.7% year-on-year, compared to November’s 1.9%.

▶ Read more about how economists expect exports to impact China’s economy

Although he doesn’t always follow through, Trump seems intent on doubling and tripling down whenever possible.

“Right now I’m feeling pretty good,” Trump said Tuesday in Detroit. His speech was ostensibly arranged to refocus attention on the economy, which the president claimed is surging despite lingering concerns about higher prices.

Trump has repeatedly insisted he’s only doing what voters elected him to do, and his allies in Washington remain overwhelmingly united behind him.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels predicted that voters will reward the party this year.

“Voters elected President Trump to put American lives first — and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” she said. “President Trump is making our country safer, and the American people will remember it in November.”

It’s only two weeks into the new year, and Trump has already claimed control of Venezuela, escalated threats to seize Greenland and flooded American streets with masked immigration agents. That’s not even counting an unprecedented criminal investigation at the Federal Reserve, a cornerstone of the national economy that Trump wants to bend to his will.

Even for a president who thrives on chaos, Trump is generating a stunning level of turmoil as voters prepare to deliver their verdict on his leadership in midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Each decision carries tremendous risks, from the possibility of an overseas quagmire to undermining the country’s financial system, but Trump has barreled forward with a ferocity rattling even some of his Republican allies.

“The presidency has gone rogue,” said historian Joanne B. Freeman, a Yale University professor.

▶ Read more about the turmoil Trump is creating ahead of this year’s votes

Nearly half of Americans — 45% — want the U.S. to take a “less active” role in solving the world’s problems, the new AP-NORC poll found.

About one-third say its current role is “about right,” and only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they want the country to be more involved globally.

Democrats and independents are driving the desire for the U.S. to take a “less active” role. At least half of them now want the U.S. to do less, a sharp shift from a few months ago.

Republicans, meanwhile, have grown more likely to indicate that Trump’s level of involvement is right. About 6 in 10 Republicans — 64% — say the country’s current role in world affairs is “about right,” which is up slightly from 55% from September.

About half of Americans believe the U.S. intervening in Venezuela will be “mostly a good thing” for halting the flow of illegal drugs into the country, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

And 44% believe the U.S. actions will do more to benefit than harm the Venezuelan people. But U.S. adults are divided on whether intervention will be good or bad for U.S. economic and national security interests, or if it simply won’t have an impact.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to see benefits to the U.S. action, particularly its effects on drug trafficking. About 8 in 10 Republicans say America’s intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

▶ Read more about the poll’s findings

Most U.S. adults — 56% — say President Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll conducted from Jan. 8-11, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture.

Democrats and independents are driving the belief that Trump has overstepped. About 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents say Trump has “gone too far” on military intervention, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans.

The vast majority of Republicans — 71% — say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only about 1 in 10 want to see him go further.

▶ Read more about the poll’s findings

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington, as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trump said in a social media post on Monday that he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran. The sanctions could hurt the Islamic Republic by reducing its access to foreign goods and driving up prices, which would likely inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%.

But the tariffs could create blowback for the United States, too, potentially raising the prices Americans pay for imports from Iranian trade partners such as Turkish textiles and Indian gemstones and threatening an uneasy trade truce Trump reached last year with China.

The Trump administration has offered scant details since announcing the new tariffs targeting Iran. It’s also unclear what legal authority the president is relying on to impose the import taxes. He invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify his most sweeping tariffs last year. But businesses and several states have gone to court arguing that Trump overstepped his authority in doing so.

▶ Read more about Trump’s threat of new tariffs

The Smithsonian Institution gave the White House new documents on its planned exhibits Tuesday in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America’s 250th birthday.

For months, Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back off “divisive narratives” and tell an upbeat story on the country’s history and culture, with the threat of holding back federal money if it doesn’t.

By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff, in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that “we transmitted more information in response to that request.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received.

▶ Read more about the Smithsonian

Trump said Wednesday that anything less than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable,” hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Greenland is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump is insisting he wants to own the island, and the residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it is not for sale. The White House has not ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

▶ Read more about Trump’s comments

President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)