When the Las Vegas Raiders assessed themselves during the offseason, it seemed like they knew that a rebuild was in order. They made a young, first-time head coach the apple of their eye, and they ended up hiring a young, first-time general manager.
But after swinging and missing on Ben Johnson and failing to even land an interview with Liam Coen, the team settled for Pete Carroll. This was still seen as a favorable hire, as, if nothing else, the 74-year-old Carroll would establish a great culture in Las Vegas and set the team on the right path.
After all, he had rebuilt the USC Trojans and the Seattle Seahawks at his previous two stops, and there was no indication that, with his hand-picked quarterback and a seemingly All-Star offensive coordinator, he couldn't get that done. But he has been an utter failure thus far for the Raiders.
Pete Carroll made a ridiculous Raiders-USC comparison
Fans still held out hope for Carroll at the beginning of the 2025 NFL season, as he started out a bit shaky with both the Trojans and the Seahawks. But he was able to find the seeds of future success, even in those dark beginnings, which propelled them to future greatness.
Carroll was asked about this after Sunday's game, with the reporter wondering if he is seeing those same seeds of success in Las Vegas. Despite the team having a 2-10 record, an 0-4 mark in the AFC West and being blown out in seven games, Carroll remained an eternal optimist.
"Absolutely. Yeah. And that's why it's so hard to take. That we're not able to enjoy the hard work and the changes and the adjustments that we've made because it's very similar," Carroll said. "You watched it. It's very similar to how we're responding together, the way we work, the attitude and the mentality, guys supporting one another. All of that is what it takes to turn the corner and get around. There was a game a few weeks ago. We're 2-5. I'm talking about the USC 2-5. You know, same thing. We were in the same place at one point, and we didn't get that game, but that was a time to turn it, and so it just hasn't happened yet. It feels like it's just right there within our reach, and so maybe it doesn't look like that to you guys, but that's what it feels like."
Well, props to Carroll for remaining positive in a season like this. Raider Nation surely isn't. There is a key difference between Carroll's USC and Seahawks teams and what is happening in Las Vegas this season: the former teams turned things around, and the Raiders haven't.
RELATED: Raiders reporter adds another new layer to Chip Kelly play-calling fiasco
The Trojans started 2-5 but finished 6-6, and the Seahawks were up and down throughout the campaign, finishing with a 7-9 record. But the Raiders, after starting 2-5, are now 2-10, and there is only one potentially winnable game left on the schedule.
It seems like Carroll thought that this statement would rally the troops a bit and convince fans to remain positive and keep believing in the operation. But it actually inspires zero confidence for the team's supporters, because Carroll isn't close to turning things around in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, after a 1-0 start and a 2-4 record in early October, the Raiders have seemingly gotten worse every single week. Despite numerous firings and a few small adjustments to the lineup, this team is as hopeless as ever. If they were going to improve, they already would have.
Carroll is running out of people to point the finger at, and he's running out of time, if he even has any left, to prove that he can right the ship. Another change at the head coaching spot is in order for Las Vegas, even if he's still holding out hope that his 2001 self will come out and make a difference.