What Carroll Displayed in Raiders' Week 10 Loss

The Las Vegas Raiders lost to the Denver Broncos in their first divisional matchup this season, dropping them to an egregious record of 2 - 7. They're now 0 - 3 against opponents in the AFC West, but this was their closest game yet!

This was a sloppy game from both teams, but if the Raiders were going to upset the Broncos, it was going to be on the back of Bo Nix, who threw two interceptions. He had a terrible performance, and there's no guarantee he'll look that uncomfortable the next time these two teams meet.

Where Do They Go From Here?

Nov 2, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are a lot of questions for the Raiders moving forward, and there's no ideal answer for most of them. Geno Smith was clearly injured at the end of the game, and yet, the Raiders still trotted him out there and expected him to play well against a historic Broncos defense.

This wasn't only player negligence on behalf of the Raiders coaching staff, as Smith was clearly unable to run comfortably, which led to him being a statue in the pocket and getting rocked by multiple Broncos defenders. It also gives a sneak peek into the mind of Pete Carroll, who had a chance to sub in a backup for their quarterback, who's been struggling all season long, but opted to go for an injured Smith over a healthy Kenny Pickett.

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) passes the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Smith wasn't playing the worst, so it's understandable why Carroll would think he gives them their best chance of winning, but he's shown absolutely no faith in Pickett's ability, and that is scary to me. He's now forced to make a decision at quarterback as Smith left the game questionable to return, and will likely be out for some time.

Pickett and Aidan O'Connell will compete to see who takes the starting job away from Smith. Any other head coach would've benched Smith by now, who continues to throw interceptions. Carroll's hesitance to name another starter shows that he's not confident their backups give them a sliver of a chance better than Smith at winning, which is crazy.

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

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