Raiders Pete Carroll Doesn't Hold Back Assessing State of the Franchise

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders are preparing to head to New England to take on the Patriots this Sunday to kick off the 2025 NFL regular season.

Pete Carroll now stands comfortably in command of the Silver and Black, and this inevitable future Hall of Fame inductee has not been prosperous by foolishly participating in hyperbole and coach speak.

Being an Optimist Doesn't Mean You Aren't a Realist

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

Carroll is known as an optimist, but that doesn’t mean he forgoes being realistic.

In his usual straightforward approach, he spoke eloquently and succinctly about the state of the Raider Nation ahead of the season opener.

Despite many years of coaching and a resume that 99% of coaches would covet, the key to his sustained success is the fact that to Carroll, the game is still as fun as the first day he picked up a football.

So is this just another game? Has the fire of a new season waned? Who are you kidding?

"No. Not one bit. Maybe more appreciation than ever."

Don't Mistake Kindness for Meekness

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

Carroll isn’t looking for excuses; he is looking for results. He doesn’t want to talk about new regimes in New England or here in the desert. He wants to talk about results, a refreshing approach.

“We all started at the same time. We'll see how we did as coaches. We'll see how we do as players when we get to performance time. Always in games, it's about making the right adjustments and staying ahead of it if you can and heading things off before they happen. And then also responding to the bad stuff that happens. So that's crucial."

Carroll's History with the Patriots is Front and Center

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll before Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Carroll is well aware of what is happening in New England. This football savant has ravaged the film of not only this season, but what this staff and players have done previously.

He might not know specifics, but he knows what he expects.

"They're physical like you would think. Josh [McDaniels] has run the ball a lot in his history, and Mike Vrabel wants to run the football too. They're very physical about it. The running backs run really hard, and they have, like Josh has traditionally had, a really downhill attack. It's pretty classic, and it's really good."

The Patriots' young QB Drake Maye is a deceptively athletic player. Highly regarded in the NFL Draft when he entered the league, he has proven he can run and run effectively.

Something Carroll and DC Patrick Graham are very aware of.

"It's absolutely in the middle of the preparation because he is so apt. He ran for almost 500 yards last year, and I think our numbers were like he's the second most scrambling guy last year. We know that he can take off and run, and he can make things happen. And he did it in preseason, and he made it look easy. So that's a big factor in their favor as a running team as well. It's even more important."

Carroll is no fool, and his success is because he never tries to reinvent the wheel.

Football is a Game, and Carrroll Keeps it Simple

Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham, and Coach Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

He loves this team, but he also knows that the biggest key to this game comes down to the simplest of football statistics, which is as accurate in pee-wee football as the NFL.

“I would say the number one thing is if we take care of the ball, that gives us our best chance. If we get the ball, that's the second best. So that's it. But other than that, no, there isn't one thing. It's a whole bunch of stuff."

Carroll's History, Doesn't Mean He's Giving Bulletin Board Material

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

Carroll has a long history with the Patriots, including a stint as their head coach. He also isn’t a fool, so when asked about that history and if it matters, he didn’t lie, but he also didn’t provide any motivation to his opponent. So does that history matter, coach?

"Yeah, it does."

Carroll and his team want to run the football, and against the Patriots, that means facing a formidable front.

"Both the inside guys are really good. They're really good. Milton [Williams] had a terrific season last year and has had a number of good years to build it up. [Christian] Barmore there, they're legit. So we have issues with those guys right off the bat."

Carroll Afraid of Rookies? Not a Chance!

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Pete Carroll, RB Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Carroll has never been afraid, throughout his entire career, to play young players who have earned the opportunity. The keyword is earned.

One Raiders rookie who has earned it is Dont’e Thornton, who is a starter.

"He's done really well. He's continued to improve throughout, and his confidence is up. He's had plenty of good practice work and against our best guys. That shows that he's worthy of doing a lot of playing for us."

Book (er) It

Las Vegas Raiders DT Thomas Booker | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

We reported first, after barely being in camp and playing in his first preseason game, that Thomas Booker IV would be a starter next to Adam Butler.

That was what we were told, and that is precisely what happened. Carroll spoke highly of his emergence.

"He's really smart. He's really tough. His consistency of effort is excellent. Chases the ball really well. Technique wise, he's really sound. I mean, it jumped out right in the first couple days we got him out there that he understood what the expectations of the position were. He's really stout, as strong as you can get."

Old School, Meets New School

Las Vegas Raiders LB Devin White, and Coach Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Analytics is being fully embraced by the Raiders now, but that doesn’t mean it is new to Carroll.

This wily veteran has plenty of experience in using every tool to find a win, even with the presence of some new people with him in the desert.

"Analytics aren't new to me, but these guys are new. We got new people, and they have different backgrounds, and they come with different strengths and experiences and all that.”

He went on to explain, “So we're trying to incorporate the best that they have to offer. That's been the challenge for us. We're working well together right now. We spend a lot of time together, and it's not just talking numbers and analytics, it's just talking football and principles and approach and philosophy and approach that will dictate the situation calls that we make.”

Carroll added even more of an explanation of the process, “Our communications have been okay in the first four attempts that we've had, but we'll get better as we go. We need the experience, but I feel really confident that the situations that will arise, we will have already prepared for. So that's a good thing, and we just got to hope that the headsets work so we can all talk."

Young Players Abound in Raider Nation

Las Vegas Raiders CB Kyu Blu Kelly | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Kyu Blu Kelly came on strong in training camp and won the starting CB1 spot, but Carroll is going to be careful with his injury and has another rookie ready to pounce if he can’t play.

"Well, he's (Kyu Blu Kelly) had really good work. We got to make sure that he's okay. So Darien [Porter] is ready to go too. We make sure that he [Kelly] makes it through the week because he [Kelly] had a hamstring that we just want to make sure it's all right.”

He added about Kelly’s meteoric rise, “But what he has done is he's been very active. He's demonstrated a really good general awareness of playing the position, and that's not just covering people, that's run game, containment, all of those kinds of things that come from experience. And he showed some good things. “

But Carroll made it clear that nothing was given to Kelly; he earned it.

“He gave us some confidence that he would be ready to play. So I love playing young guys, and our young guys will play. But we'll see what happens by the end of the week how that works out."

Carroll addressed the readiness of rookie CB Darien Porter, who has shone and flashed many times in this year’s preseason.

Las Vegas Raiders CB Darien Porter | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

"He's as ready as he can get right now. We got a couple more days to fill in here, but he's had a marvelous camp for us, and has come a tremendous distance. So I'm excited about him playing. I can't wait to see him on the game field."

Carroll also revisited his commitment to young players. With an unusual number of rookies, he talked about what he says to prepare them for their rookie years.

"They need to lean on the guys around them and don't think that they're the whole show. And all I've ever asked of our guys is to be the best they can be. And so there's that pressure.”

With the wisdom of the sage that he is, he also added this tidbit of wisdom.

“It doesn't have to do with outside expectations and all that. And I think that allows them to be more calm and more composed and more focused in the moments. That's what we're trying to get done with everybody on the football team, but for the young guys, it's really important too."

WR Amari Cooper & QB Kenny Pickett Late to the Party, Not Overlooked

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll & QB Kenny Pickett | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

QB Kenny Pickett and WR Amari Cooper are two significant additions to the Raiders, but they haven’t been in the desert long.

Carroll addressed the issue because of their lack of time in the building, where he is, as far as the level of confidence in their preparation.

Las Vegas Raiders WR Amari Cooper | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

"I want to see the whole week. We made sure that Kenny [Pickett] didn't burst at any time because he was coming off a hammy. And Amari's [Cooper] done well so far, we just want to get through some more practices. We just haven't had that much time yet."

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