Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll defended Geno Smith after the team’s 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, where the starting quarterback threw his thirteenth interception of the season.
“I still believe in him,” Carroll said on Tuesday. “I don’t hesitate to tell you that. He’s an incredible player, and he’s giving it his all, and he’s working really hard at it. He hasn’t backed down one step in the whole process. He’ll come through for us.”
Pete CarrollCarroll considered that Smith played well overall, despite the circumstances. Smith played behind an offensive line that featured backup left tackle Stone Forsythe and backup center Will Putnam, due to the absences of starters Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson 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.Geno Smith, quarterback de los Raiders, está empatado en el liderato de intercepciones en la NFL esta temporada con 13 y ocupa el puesto 29 en índice de pasador (80.9) y el 31 en QBR (32.6).The Raiders’ game strategy reflected Carroll’s confidence in Smith. They opted for a designed pass on 84% of their plays, the team’s highest rate in a game since 2012. Las Vegas ran the ball only 12 times for 27 yards.
Smith’s interception occurred in the second quarter, when he tried to force the ball towards tight end Brock Bowers. Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. deflected Smith’s pass, and Cowboys safety Markquese Bell intercepted the ball.
Carroll commented that Smith should have passed the ball to rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who had a lot of open space to work with.
“There was an opportunity for a 10-yard play, probably,” Carroll said. “But he thought he could get the ball to Bowers, and the linebacker got a hand on the ball. He has that competitive nature, but there was a better decision to make on that play.”
Pete CarrollSmith is tied with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the most interceptions in the league and the most by a Raiders quarterback in the team’s first 10 games in the last 30 seasons.
Smith, 35, ranks 29th in passer rating (80.9) and 31st in QBR (32.6), behind New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields, who was recently benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor.
“For me, again, I just have to play better. I keep saying this, if something doesn’t look right out there, it’s my fault,” Smith said. “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 SmithCarroll has protected Smith throughout 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 at 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 second quarterback so far.
“We’ve been giving O’Connell some work against the first-team defense and all that to get him moving as fast as possible,” Carroll said. “He’s had quite a few opportunities to practice to start, so he’s done well too.”
Pete Carroll
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 chose 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 starter.
“We just have to help him more, we have to protect him better,” Carroll said.
