Pete Carroll won his first NFL regular-season game as the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Silver and Black defeated the New England Patriots, 20-13, in Foxborough, Mass., on Sunday. There is a lot to discuss and process after the first NFL game of the season. As a website which is keenly interested in how Pete Carroll fares in Vegas, we will spend time this season documenting the journey of the Silver and Black with our friends at Raiders Wire.
If you have followed Trojans Wire this year, you know we have used a lot of Raiders Wire links to tell the evolving story of Pete Carroll’s Raiders in the offseason. Now that the big show — the 2025 NFL campaign — is underway and we have real games to evaluate, Trojans Wire will offer its original analysis of Pete Carroll and the Raiders. This is the first weekly installment of Raiders postgame commentary, with more to come each week during the season.
Here are our foremost observations about the Raiders and Pete Carroll after Week 1:
Playoff formula
It’s no different in any other sport: Teams which are part of a vast middle tier in their league have to win the games they are expected to win, or which are 50-50 games. They don’t have to beat the elites, just the teams with comparable or lesser talent. The Raiders did this by beating the Patriots, who look mediocre. NFL games are hard, especially on the road, but this was a game Vegas needed to win. Pete Carroll needs at least nine wins to have a shot at the playoffs. The Raiders’ odds of going 9-8 went way up with this win.
Classic Pete Carroll
“Can you win games in the first quarter? NO! Can you win in the second quarter? NO!”
Pete Carroll preaches about finishing and being better in the fourth quarter. The Raiders did that with a run game which improved and a composed Geno Smith. The offense was ragged early but got better late. Pete had to love that about the win in New England. It’s a good sign going forward as the Raiders try to change their culture and identity.
Coaching prowess
Pete Carroll plainly outflanked Mike Vrabel of the Patriots, showing he still has his fastball at times. The Raiders’ defense clamped down on New England’s offense in the second half, coming up with big plays and allowing only a garbage-time field goal in the final half-minute. Those were the only three points the Patriots scored after halftime. Players see when their coaches are putting them in the right positions. This has to build confidence for the road ahead.
Geno Smith quick release
When Geno Smith gets rid of the ball quickly and doesn’t wait forever, good things usually happen. Taking the checkdown is important for him. Smith’s quick release reduced the difficulties posed by a shaky Raider offensive line. Smith worked around his offense’s limitations in a mature performance.
Michael Mayer
Brock Bowers got hurt on Sunday, so the Raiders turned to Michael Mayer. This is where the Raiders’ tight end depth is hugely important. There is no better backup tight end in the NFL than Mayer, which can stabilize the Vegas offense if Bowers needs time to get back to 100-percent.
Carroll with defensive weapons
Pete Carroll coaching Maxx Crosby is such a great pairing for the Raiders. Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can use Crosby as the first chess piece for the Vegas pass rush. Teammates, particularly Tyree Wilson, were able to play off Crosby and get to Drake Maye of the Patriots. One can see this Raider pass rush becoming the biggest strength of the team as the 2025 season goes along.
Chip Kelly was up for the challenge
It’s Pete Carroll’s show in Vegas, but he hired former UCLA coach Chip Kelly to form a USC-UCLA axis in Vegas. How would Kelly handle his return to the NFL? Week 1 was highly encouraging. Kelly helped Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty deal with the flaws of the offensive line. The Raiders started slowly but figured out how they needed to play in the second half. Kelly was able to change the trajectory of the game in the second half.
Halftime adjustments
Raider fans have not had good coaches for many years. We finally saw a staff which was able to pivot and make the right adjustments at halftime. This might be the biggest single growth point for the team in Week 1.
All about the O-line
The biggest source of concern for the Raiders appears to be their offensive line, which did not pick up blitzes or stunts and has notable weak points, particularly DJ Glaze. This unit simply has to get better in a rugged AFC West, or the feel-good vibe of Week 1 will vanish in a month or two.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Trojans Wire evaluates the state of Pete Carroll’s Raiders — Week 1 edition
Reporting by Matt Zemek / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
