Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll defended his starting quarterback, Geno Smith, after he recorded his thirteenth interception in the 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football”.
Carroll considered that Smith played well overall, despite the circumstances. Smith played behind an offensive line that included backup left tackle Stone Forsythe and backup center Will Putnam, with starters Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson on the reserve list due to injury. Smith completed 27 of 42 passes (64.3%) for 238 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 77.3. He was sacked four times and pressured on 16 of 49 pass attempts.I still believe in him a lot. I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that. He’s an incredible player, he’s putting in a lot of effort and he’s working very hard. He hasn’t taken a step back in the whole process.
Pete Carroll
Smith is tied with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the most interceptions in the league and the most by a Raiders quarterback through the team’s first 10 games in the last 30 seasons. Smith, 35 years old, ranks 29th in passer rating (80.9) and 31st in QBR (32.6), behind New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields, who was recently replaced by Tyrod Taylor.There was an opportunity for a 10-yard play, probably. But he thought he could get [the ball to Bowers], and the linebacker got a hand on the ball. He has that type of competitive nature, but there was a better decision to make on that play.
Pete Carroll
Carroll has protected Smith during the Raiders’ 2-8 season. But if these problems continue in the last seven regular season games, the 74-year-old coach could be forced to make a difficult decision in the position, both now and in the future. Backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell (wrist) was designated to return from the injured reserve list on October 29. Carroll said the team will soon decide whether to activate O’Connell to the active roster or keep him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. On Tuesday, Las Vegas waived safety Chris Smith II and released offensive tackle Leroy Watson IV from the practice squad, which could open the door for O’Connell to join the 53-man roster. Kenny Pickett has been the team’s backup quarterback so far.For me, again, I just have to play better. I keep saying this, if something doesn’t look right, it’s my fault. That’s all you can do. It’s my fault. If your kids mess up at school, it’s my fault. If the car breaks down on the way to work, it’s my fault.
Geno Smith
Las Vegas is on track to have a high pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Raiders are projected to have the fourth pick, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. They have an 8.9% chance of securing the first selection and a 62.5% chance of being selected in the top five, which means the team could be in a position to select one of the best quarterback prospects. The Raiders haven’t selected a quarterback in the first round since they took JaMarcus Russell at number 1 in 2007. Smith signed a two-year, $75 million extension after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks. He has a $18.5 million cap hit and has no guaranteed money left on his contract after 2026. The Raiders are likely to be in the market for quarterbacks in the offseason. For now, Smith remains the man.We’ve been giving [O’Connell] some work against the [first-team defense] and all that to get him moving as quickly as possible. He’s had quite a few opportunities to practice to start, so he’s done well too.
Pete Carroll
We just have to help him more, we have to protect him better.
Pete Carroll
