Pete Carroll Reveals How Raiders’ Woeful Start Impacted Geno Smith

The Las Vegas Raiders' 2-10 start to the season has been a hard pill to swallow for everyone involved.

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks to head coach Pete Carroll in game against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders' season started with heightened but reasonable expectations for a team that had made several reasonable and needed moves. Those moves came on the coaching staff and the roster, making those expectations fair and understandable

Still, things went downhill quickly for the Raiders. Since Geno Smith threw his first pass as a Raider at Allegiant Stadium, this season has continued to spiral out of control week after week. Las Vegas is searching for answers after 12 games, and those answers do not seem to be in sight.

Watch Carroll discuss below

The Raiders have lost 10 out of their last 11 games and will face the Denver Broncos for the second time in four games. Las Vegas has an uphill battle on their hands against their AFC West divisional foe.

On Friday, Carroll noted how Smith is coming along after being sacked at an alarming rate this season. Smith has been sacked 15 times in the last two games alone.

"I think it's been really important because we started so far off. We got all those picks that started out early in the season. To me, it was a real effort to just keep Geno [Smith] clear and not carry the burden of all of that into the rest of the season, because it happened early, and it was significant. It wasn't all him at any time,” Carroll said.

“There's a lot of things that go into all that, but he's been around long enough that he knows he's going to carry the burden, and he's going to be the one everybody's pointing the finger at and all that. And so, I wanted to make sure and stay with him and hang through that and get him back to his football and back where he could play really clean. He really has turned the corner in that regard. 

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Smith currently leads the National Football League in interceptions this season and has had a challenging season since the start. Few things have gone right for Smith or the Raiders' offense, which led to the firing of Chip Kelly.

Las Vegas moves forward with Greg Olson calling the plays. Carroll believes the move will give the Raiders the best chance to make progress on offense, but only time will tell. The Raiders have five more games to prove this season was not all for naught.

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