Frustration is starting to get out of control for the Las Vegas Raiders. Even the normally calm and collected Pete Carroll is starting to show signs of being fed up.
The Raiders just put up one of their worst efforts of the season in a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. While there have been uglier scores this season, the Browns were 2-8 and starting a rookie quarterback coming into Week 12.
The offense is a mess. The offensive line can’t block anybody, wide receivers aren’t getting open, and when they do, Geno Smith overthrows them. They just aren’t doing anything well. Carroll has never lost more than 10 games in his career as a coach, but at 2-9 with six games left, it’s very likely he’ll have his worst season ever.
Carroll is clearly not happy with the offense. In fact, he decided to drop a controversial quote from former USC head coach John McKay.
“John McKay was once asked, ‘What do you think of your team’s execution?’ and he said (he) thought it was a good idea,” Carroll said after the loss.
“I never really did understand how he’d be willing to say that like that, but I just did.”
Fans Think Carroll’s Comments Were in Poor Taste
Carroll was clearly being sarcastic with the comments, but it’s hard to find humor amid a 2-9 start. Many fans thought the coach’s comments were in poor taste.
“WHAT?! Pete Carroll needs to retire,” one fan wrote on X.
“Feels like there were a million better responses than this,” another fan wrote.
There are probably better ways for Carroll to get his message across to the offense, but whatever the team has been doing hasn’t been working. The Raiders need to consider big changes, but he doesn’t seem interested in wanting to bench Smith or letting younger players have a bigger role. It might be time to empower the front office to dictate who gets playing time the rest of the season.
Will Carroll Survive the Season?
All things considered, it’s fair to question if Carroll even wants to keep coaching this Raiders team. He’s going to be 75 next season, so he doesn’t have much time left to coach. He’s already the oldest head coach in NFL history.
It’s hard to imagine the Raiders will feel good about having Carroll coach the team next season. The bigger question is whether or not he’ll survive the rest of this season. The Raiders are completely listless, and the players clearly aren’t buying into Carroll’s messaging.
That said, there are only six games left, and the Raiders can’t deal with more interim head coach drama. The last thing the team wants is to promote somebody like Patrick Graham, have the team do a bit better, and then have all the players calling for him to get promoted to the permanent job.
The Raiders need to launch yet another coaching search this offseason, but should let general manager John Spytek run it. Owner Mark Davis has proven time and time again that he can’t pick the right head coach. It’s time to let a general manager make the choice.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Pete Carroll Under Fire Over Postgame Comments About Raiders Players appeared first on Heavy Sports.