Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders have big problems and it begins with head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith.
It’s not working and wildly, it’s not to early to ask, what is the end game here?
Carroll is the oldest NFL head coach ever at 74 years old and Smith is 35 years old. They were both brought to Las Vegas to bring stability and give them a chance to compete right away. But that has not happened yet.
The Raiders have now lost four straight games and are 1-4 after a humiliating 40-6 loss at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
It was the third loss under Carroll by double digits. The Raiders fired Antonio Pierce after one full season because he was known for double-digit losses. Nine of the Raiders 13 losses were by 10 points or more.
Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning coach in Seattle, was brought in to change that culture. But the same things are happening and one can argue that the Raiders have gotten worse in 2025.
They are being outplayed and outcoached in all three phases. Carroll said he’s surprised by the poor start to the season.
“I’m processing it poorly to tell the truth,” he said after the game. “I did expect to win right out of the chutes.”
One of the reasons why the Raiders are losing is Carroll’s hand-picked quarterback, Smith has been a disaster as he has thrown nine interceptions this season. It’s the most by a Raiders’ quarterback since Jim Plunkett did it in 1982, according to ESPN.
The Raiders are bad in the red zone, on third down defense and on special teams.
They are a mess and while Carroll and Smith are probably safe for now, it’s not too early to question how they can help the Raiders in the future.
Here are some key aspects of the game:
Taylor rips through Raiders again:
Noted Raider killer Jonathan Taylor had another productive game as he scored three touchdowns and was a big part of the Colts’ offensive machine Sunday.
Questions about Pratt:
Friday, the Raiders made the surprising announcement that linebacker Germaine Pratt would not travel to the game. The only explanation was that it wasn’t injury related. Sunday, when asked about Pratt, Carroll said the Raiders decided to go with the other players at the position. That’s not much of an explanation. So, it begs the question whether there is a big-picture issue going on with Pratt that will extend beyond this week.
Bad defense on third down:
The Colts dominated in every phase and they were terrific on third down. They converted on eight of 10 third-down attempts. The Raiders have to clean that up.
Offensive line falters again:
After improved play in Week 4 after a rough first three games, the Raiders offensive line dipped again Sunday as they were playing without standout eft tackle Kolton Miller, who went on the injured reserve last week. Smith was sacked four times and pressured 13 times. So,...
