Pete Carroll’s New Role with the Raiders Could Be Career-Defining

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) played their worst game since arriving in the desert six years ago this past weekend in Washington D.C.

In the latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we look at the sure Hall of Fame career of Pete Carroll and how this opportunity to turn around the nearly moribund Silver and Black franchise could define his career as the cherry on top of a terrific legacy.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Pete Carroll's legacy is solid. He is on course to Canton, so his results in Las Vegas can only solidify him among the elite, and certainly won’t take the shine off of his illustrious career.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Carroll watched the film of the demoralizing loss in Washington, D.C., and afterward discussed the contest with the media.

You can read the partial transcript below:

Head Coach Pete Carroll

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Q: With the offensive line, are you looking at potential changes, or are you going with what you have? Head

Coach Pete Carroll: "We want to see JPJ [Jackson Powers-Johnson] come back to action and get back involved. In all phases of it, we got to get off the football better and make more of the running game. There's not enough happening there to act on the play pass game, and we're just not getting enough. So, we just got to keep working it. We got the guys we got, and we need to keep developing and keep building on it."

Q: So would that be competition at the right guard spot or the entire line possibly?

Coach Carroll: "We're working at the right guard spot. Our young guys, they'll get their turn sometime, but they're not ready yet. So, we have what we have, and we got to make our guys do better, and we got to fit it together better than we have."

Q: What is the differentiating factor between when you decide to watch film after games versus not watching the film?

Coach Carroll: "No, we're at such an early stage of developing of our team that we have to keep building. We have to go through the hard stuff, learn the hard way, learn the hard lessons. Yeah, I mean, it's a thought, 'You throw the film out and don't look at it.' But we have too much to teach and too much to learn. And so, this is just part of the process, and it would have been nice to get two wins out of these three and or get them all. But it didn't happen yet. So, we've got to keep working at every phase of our game."

Carroll added, "We didn't turn it around from Monday night relative to how they [the Commanders] did. They had a big break, and they took advantage of it. I overdid it, or I tried to make sure that we had our legs. I feel like I didn't do the right decision making to get us right because fundamentally, we did not play as well as we have. And so, it just happens. You got to take a shot at it. That game coming Monday night after a Thursday nightery, for the other team, has historically been very, very difficult, and that's the schedule. We got to play it, and we need to respond better."

Q: Last week, we were talking about Geno Smith kind of taking what the defense gives him. With Tre Tucker's performance, do you believe that that was Geno kind of taking what the defense gave him, or do you think that Tre just, watching the film, just had an incredible game and was just getting open with separation? How would you see that?

Coach Carroll: "No, it's a combination. Geno [Smith] really did get back on track, and he played like he plays. The week before was something different, and it was great to see him come back like that. He took advantage of Tre [Tucker] and his opportunities. Tre was fortunate on a couple opportunities. The concepts really fit the concept of their defense, got behind them a couple times. We didn't get him a couple times too. There was other opportunities that we could have gone to him. So, Tre took advantage of it. Geno was on point, and there were some real nice calls there to get him open for the touchdowns. Tre's had a really good start to this season, and he's been very consistent. He's come through in big ways, and it's just really indications of more to come. We got to keep going to him because he's making things happen."

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