Ryan McFadden
Indianapolis – Pete Carroll’s optimistic spirit began to show cracks on Sunday afternoon.
Las Vegas Raiders received a dubbing of 40-6 by the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, marking the team’s fourth consecutive defeat and the biggest defeat since its 48-9 defeat in Kansas City in 2021.
The performance of raids in the past four weeks has been the opposite of what Carroll hoped in his first season as a coach. During the first day of the training camp in July, he was held proudly in front of the journalists and said: “We are going to win a heap, and I don’t care about.”
Instead, the raiders are 1-4-the worst start in Carroll’s head coach career. Meanwhile, his meeting with Geno Smith did not leave as planned. The starting quarter -back launched two interceptions against the defense of the colts, increasing its total interception to nine – a summit of the league.
Even if Carroll maintained his optimism for the season, he admitted the start of his mandate to Las Vegas had wreaked his own.
“I treat it badly to tell you about the truth because I expected to win right away,” said Carroll after enduring his second margin of defeat as a coach – including the NFL and the college.
All the problems that tormented Las Vegas were exposed to Indianapolis. Special teams still had trouble. The colts blocked a clearance of clearance, causing an All-Pro AJ Cole bettor suffering from a right ankle injury. Even if Cole returned, the botter Daniel Carlson received tasks on the margins.
Carlson missed an attempted goal of 57 yards in the last seconds of the first half. And if it was not for a call to colts, the unit of the special teams of the raiders would have been responsible for authorizing it a touch of Kick from 98 yards to Ashton Dulin.
Even if the defense of Las Vegas held Indianapolis at 96 yards on the ground, the colts have always taken advantage of solid positions on the ground throughout the afternoon, going 6 for 6 in the red zone. Indianapolis was also 8 per 10 in third row.
“(The colts) overwhelmed us,” said Carroll. “… we could not get out of the field, and that is why they were able to support their records.”
Said Maxx Crosby, the defensive winger of the raiders: “Yes, we did nothing good.”
After the match, Smith was sitting in his locker, clearly frustrated. Large recipient coach Chris Beatty consoled him. And later, Smith and Carroll had a long conversation. Smith’s turnover was a chronic problem in the disastrous start of the team. He launched several interceptions for the third time in five games.
The nine Smith interceptions are the most by all the Raiders quarter-arre in the first five games of a team season from Jim Plunkett in 1982 (nine). The latest quarter to record nine choices in the first five games of their team was Zach Wilson for the New York Jets in 2021 (also nine).
“You have to go through the process, guy,” said Smith. “… we hate it, and I hate it the most.”
Unlike their opposition, the raiders did not capitalize in the red zone, going 0 for 4 in these situations. Smith’s first interception occurred at the 11 colt yards line when his passing attempt was triggered by Grover Stewart and intercepted by Laiatut Latu.
Carroll said he was planning to turn to the safeguard of the quarter-Arrière Kenny Pickett late when the match was very uncontrollable, but that he thought that Smith and other starters, like Crosby, needed more training.
“We need representatives. … We have to execute the system,” said Carroll. “We have to see the guys get their opportunities to improve. It’s not like a big change.”
Carroll and the Raiders had reasons to hope. Carroll has an assessment for the victory and the construction of programs. Smith came out of the best three -year section of his career as a starter for Seattle Seahawks. The racing game was stimulated when the team drafted Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and players like Crosby returned from an injury.
But the team that Carroll believed that raiders could have not yet shown. It also does not help Brock Bowers, all-pro, was not himself. Bowers missed the match on Sunday due to a PCL injury and bone bruising in his left knee on which he had played since week 1.
Carroll had previously expressed his expectation that the All-Pro would be available despite the two consecutive days of practice and listed as questionable. Carroll said he hoped that additional rest days would have helped Bowers, but on Saturday, the second -year receiver did not feel well.
“If Brock could have played, he would have done it. If (Eric Eric) Stokes could have played, he would have done it,” said Carroll. “We thought that resting them would make a difference, and we did not shoot as much as we hoped.”
For raiders, the only silver lining after their third two -digit defeat of the season is that there are still 12 games.
“When life throws you — You have to find a solution and repair it,” said the stretch of the Raiders Devin White. “This is what we are right now.”
