This is not where the Raiders expected to be after they hired coach Pete Carroll on Jan. 25—2-8, mired in the AFC West cellar, eyeing a high pick in the 2026 draft.
Yet Las Vegas finds itself here after losing 33–16 to the Cowboys at home Monday night. Quarterback Geno Smith was decent for the Raiders—27-for-42 for 238 yards, a touchdown, and an interception—but he hasn't recaptured the magic of his late-career breakout with the Seahawks.
As calls mount for Smith's benching, Carroll stood by his quarterback Tuesday.
"I continue to really believe in him. I have no hesitation in telling you that," Carroll said. "He's an incredible player, and he's busting his tail and working at it really hard. He has not backed off one step."
In 2025, Smith has thrown 12 touchdown passes against a league-high 13 interceptions. Both his yards per attempt and adjusted yards per attempt have declined year-over-year substantially, and his passer rating is at an 11-year low for a full season.
That's a far cry from 2022 and 2023, when Smith threw 50 touchdowns against 20 interceptions and made a pair of Pro Bowls.
"We're counting on that he's gonna keep working," Carroll said. "He'll come through for us. We just gotta help him out more, gotta protect him better."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pete Carroll Still Believes in Geno Smith After Raiders' Loss to Cowboys.
