As Expectations Tighten, Pete Carroll’s First Year with the Raiders Is Becoming a Test of Resolve. DH
The Las Vegas Raiders are officially worse than they were last season.
The Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll as their head coach, as he brought the many years of experience their two previous head coaches did not. However, it is unlikely Carroll could have seen the 2-10 Raiders’ season going the way it has gone so far.
Carroll’s Rank
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports recently analyzed which coaches around the National Football League he believes are the hot seat the most. After the Raiders lost for the 10th time in 11 games, Pereles believes Carroll is at the top of that list.
“Just about everything surrounding Carroll’s situation has soured in stunning fashion, even for the most wary of prognosticators. Carroll not only hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator this offseason but made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL. He got fired after Week 12,” Pereles said.
“Las Vegas has also parted ways with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon after Week 10. A reunion between Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith has similarly been a disaster; Smith’s 14 interceptions are tied for most in the NFL, and the Raiders’ 259.5 yards per game is third-fewest in the league.
“Simply put, the Raiders made several win-now moves this offseason. It now looks further away from winning than before Carroll took over. Carroll, 74, is already the oldest coach in NFL history, and while he has tremendous energy, he has also been a big reason the franchise has gone completely off track. Recent reports from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport detailed the lack of cohesion under Carroll and indicated Carroll is indeed on the hot seat, less than a year after his ballyhooed arrival.”
Earlier this season, Carroll was asked if his job security was something that he was concerned about. At the time, it was more than evident which direction the Raiders’ season was headed. Still, Carroll explained that he does not to his job with thoughts about his job security.
“No, I don’t think like that, I really don’t. I can’t go there. It’s been 20-something years with these last two opportunities coaching, and that hasn’t been in mind at all, so I’m not going to start now,” Carroll said.
Carroll elaborated, noting that this season has not gone anything like he expected it to. Carroll explained that while wins have been hard to come by, he simply wants to see progress each week from the team. Carroll knows the long-term goal of turning the team around will take time.
“Not very well. It’s been crappy. This is not what I expected to happen, and I didn’t feel that we would be this far behind the start of the season. We’re just trying to keep driving the messages home and trying to get better each week and do some things that we can build from […] But unfortunately it is still what it is and we have to deal with it. I’m not very well versed in being in this situation and I don’t have experience about that and I’m happy to say that. But I don’t like it one bit and it’s been hard,” Carroll said.
