Raiders Can Prove They Hit Rock Bottom—or They're Still Sinking

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) will play the Chicago Bears (1-2) this Sunday. Despite it being only Week 3, the team's performance will reveal a lot about the path ahead in the 2025 NFL season.

Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast examines whether the Raiders have truly hit rock bottom and are on the rise, or if they are still sinking against the Chicago Bears.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Pete Carroll has been here before, so anyone being fair has to trust the experienced and nearly certain future Hall of Fame coach.

He spoke on Friday after practice about the state of his team and the enormity of this game versus the Chicago Bears.

You can read the partial transcript below:

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll and IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Head Coach Pete Carroll

Q: Last night, I'm not sure how much you watched the game, I know you're preparing for your own game, but there was a major special teams play at the end of the game on the kickoff that kind of helped swing the outcome of the game. They were short of the landing zone. Is that like another way to drive into your players how important every single special teams play is?

Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Coach Pete Carroll: "Yeah, I mean, it could have been that play. It could have been a PI. It could have been whatever in a critical situation. Yeah, it's always the very next step you take, and that's the next play that you're faced with. It isn't about what just happened or whatever. The hope is that you're focused so that you can execute like we're counting on and like your teammates were counting on. And so, the fact that they missed the landing zone on that kick, he's probably kicked thousands of balls that weren't there and so that one got away, whatever. Yeah, but every play is crucially important, and you don't know which one's going to spell the aspect of the results of the game. So, you got to play them all right to the max."

Q: I don't know whether it's coincidental or not, but with the new rules for the kickoff, you look at last week, there were blocked kicks on field goals, there were returns, there were just a lot of big plays made on special teams. Do you think that because of what's going on with the kickoff, maybe there's a new light being shed or new emphasis being shed just on special teams when you see that?

Coach Carroll: "I wouldn't think that. I wouldn't think that it affects everything because of the kickoff. It certainly affects the kickoff. It does affect our thinking and all that, but it doesn't affect how we punt the football and hit field goals and stuff like that, I wouldn't think. The first couple weeks, just like when you're a new team, you show what you are doing and show who you are and what you're trying to get done, and the other teams got to take advantage of that; they didn't know.”

Carroll continued his thought, adding, “When you're a new team like us, they have to figure us out because they don't have last year. We can look at last year's film. We can look at Ben [Johnson] when he's coaching in Detroit. We have all kinds of different ways to go, and I think that you see a big transition maybe in the kicking game because it's just three weeks old and everybody got a chance to see everybody, and pretty hard to hide it after a couple of weeks."

Las Vegas Raiders TE Ian Thomas | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Q: Even though you mentioned Michael Mayer, you're still waiting on that, can you just talk about Ian Thomas and what you believe he provides in the case that Michael Mayer can't play?

Las Vegas Raiders Thomas Harper, Brock Bowers, and Michael Mayer | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Coach Carroll: "Yeah, first let's just say about Mike [Michael Mayer]. Mike's had an incredibly good start with us. He's done everything we asked of him. He's been a marvelous teammate and all that. If he can't go on this weekend, he'll be back next week and ready to go. Ian [Thomas] has been right there every step of the way. Was a really fortunate get for us. He's got experience and background, versatility, all of that, and they really share those roles for us. So, Ian will jump right in if Mike can't go, and we'll do a totally good job with his opportunity, so I'm not worried about that. I just want to make sure that Mike's right, and we got to take care of him."

Q: What have you learned about your team and how they responded to last week?

Coach Carroll: "Well, I just told you about what practice was like. They totally came back and worked exactly the way we needed to. This is a championship week of preparation, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. They did exactly what we needed them to do, and they did it with energy and juice and toughness and all of that. So, let's see. We got Saturday review coming up, and then we get to one o'clock and let's see how we go. You kind of don't ever really know. You'd like to think you do, but you got to go out there and do the job. I'm sure they're pumped up about their win last week. It was a terrific win for them, and they get to try to make that turn. Like I said, big wins are just as difficult to come back from as big losses, so we'll see what happens with them, see what happens with us."

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