📢 TOP STORY: No matter the outcome against the Texans, the questions surrounding Pete Carroll’s leadership of the Raiders will persist ⚡. DH
The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled in all areas this season. With only three games left in the season, Las Vegas’ main goal should be to stay as healthy as possible, get playing time for players returning from injury and also added playing time for their slew of young players.
The Raiders know what they have in their long list of veterans who have played this season. It is time for them to look deeper. Las Vegas should keep an eye on the next three weeks, as they will shape the franchise for many years to come. The Raiders face a significant offseason. They must produce.
Watch Pete Carroll discuss below
Earlier this week, Carroll explained why this season has gone so differently from what he had hoped before the start of the season. Notably, during the offseason, Carroll explained his expectations to win 10 games this season. That has not happened. Las Vegas has lost 12 of its last 13 games.
“Blindly optimistic as I am, I thought we would come in here, and we’d have a big factor on this club, and we would be able to find success that we would be proud of. And right now, it doesn’t feel like that,” Carroll said.
Las Vegas is still searching for a change of fortune after many years of being near the bottom of the league in wins. The Raiders must turn things around from the inside out, with a strong draft and free agency period. Next season, Las Vegas will also need more from its 2025 draft class.
The Raiders will face the Houston Texans on Sunday. On Wednesday, Carroll explained what he noticed about the Texans’ turnaround. Houston lost 13 games in the 2022-23 season but has won 10 games in two of the three seasons since and has won nine games this season.
“The way I see the makeup of their team, they structured their acquisitions really towards putting together a defense that could really go, and that’s what jumps out at you about their team. They’re a good, solid offense, but they play to their defense,” Carroll said.
“They’ve only turned the ball over 10 times in the season on offense, which is an incredibly good stat there, plus-14. So, to me, that’s playing to the strength of their defense. It’s not to take anything away from their big guys up front, running the football, because they’re huge up front on offense, but I see that that’s the makeup of this team.”
