Colts Showdown Could Be Turning Point for Geno Smith, Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith, because of his experience around the league and with Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll.

Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

However, the move has yet to pay off, as Las Vegas sits at 1-3 for the second time in three seasons and Smith leads the league in interceptions. Still, Carroll believes in his quarterback.

"He's already done it. I thought he did a masterful job of accepting the responsibility, that you guys will all think is so obvious. The turnovers -- there's a lot of reasons things happen, but as the quarterback, you got to shoulder it, and he did exactly what he should do," Carroll said.

"He took a day that he needed, and another day that he needed, and he's back to full speed, ready to go. And his brain is on, his mind is clicking, and he's excited about this opportunity."

raide — Sep 15, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll throws a football before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Prior to practice earlier this week, Smith expressed his belief that some of his interceptions have been the result of bad luck, which is true. However, Smith also wisely took responsibility for the interceptions that were clearly his fault. He knows his mistakes are fixable.

Smith plans to use his preparation to fix his mistakes. Smith is known as a student of the game. It is up to him to ensure his preperation off the field meets his performance on the field, which has not happened often early in the season.

“Yeah. I mean, I'm a film junkie. I study a bunch of ball. I study these guys as much as I can. I try to devote all my time to this game and being the best quarterback I can be," Smith said.

"I feel really bad about the turnovers, and I think some of it's been unlucky, but I do understand that that's a part of the process as well. And so, for me, studying my opponent, you always gain that edge, but there's never enough. To me, you can never watch enough film, so I try to study as much as I can.”

Regardless of what it takes, the Raiders must find a way to get Smith going immediately. After years of struggling at the quarterback position, the Raiders figured Smith would help them smooth things out. That has yet to happen and it could derail Las Vegas' season just five weeks in.

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