There was a time in NFL history when current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was the most innovative, dominant coach in the league. His "Cover Three" defense took the league by storm, leading to a Seattle Seahawks run that defined the early 2010s.
At the height of that run, Carroll took Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn under his wing as his apprentice. Quinn studied under the wise head coach for two years, helping the team earn a Super Bowl win in the process.
Over a decade later, the former apprentice, now the head coach of the Washington Commanders, dominated Carroll's Raiders with a 41-24 win in embarrassing fashion during Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll loses to former assistant Dan Quinn
Times have changed in the NFL. Head coaches have to adapt, or they'll quickly fall behind. As Carroll sticks to his classic philosophies of team-building and schematics, Quinn's adjustments have made him one of the fastest-rising coaches in football.
The Commanders' second-year coach has been forced to adjust. He's had various stops since parting ways with Carroll after the 2014 season, acting as both a defensive coordinator and head coach.
The difference between these two coaches was on full display this Sunday, as the Commanders put up their best performance of the young season. Washington's coach overcame his former teacher, watching his team score 41 points in the process despite having a backup quarterback under center.
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Carroll's influence on the Raiders roster was apparent in this game. He chose to trade away a capable cornerback in Jakorian Bennett despite having a desperate need at the position, seemingly because the defender didn't fit his ideal prototype of a tall cornerback with long arms.
His preferred options struggled heavily against the Commanders, giving up multiple long passes. The Raiders' run defense was even weaker, giving up over 200 yards on the ground to a depleted Commanders offense.
Quinn, on the other hand, was firing on all cylinders. His group of unheralded pass rushers got after Geno Smith, sacking him five times and applying constant pressure throughout the game. Both defenses lack the ideal level of talent, but Washington clearly made the most of it, whereas Las Vegas did not.
While one game can't truly determine which coach is superior, Carroll's Raiders were outclassed on multiple levels by Quinn's Commanders. This was an opportunity to pick up a crucial win in a wide-open race to the top of the AFC West, and this team fell dramatically short. Hopefully, Carroll can learn from this loss and adjust moving forward.