The Las Vegas Raiders' Week 17 loss to the New York Giants was brutal, as they fell 34-10 to their fellow two-win counterpart. While this may have felt like a new low for the Silver and Black during the 2025 NFL season, it was simply the latest installment of how inept this version of the Raiders truly is.
While the focus of the fan base is currently on losing and getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the players and coaches in the building are trying to win. Yes, Las Vegas shut down several star players to protect their investments ahead of Sunday's game, but so did the Giants.
That's why owner Mark Davis should see getting throttled at home by the other worst team in the NFL as the smoking gun for firing Pete Carroll. He has more than worn out his welcome with Raider Nation, and the results on the field are a problem in and of themselves.
Pete Carroll cinched his fate after Week 17's blowout loss to the Giants
Losing Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers, as well as key pieces like Jeremy Chinn, Dylan Parham, Jack Bech and Raheem Mostert, is not easy to come back from, especially on short notice. But Las Vegas got manhandled on numerous occasions this year with a full slate of players healthy.
In Weeks 2 and 3, the Raiders got blown out by the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders and only had one starter sidelined. Then, they got blown out again in Week 5 by the Indianapolis Colts when they were down several starters, but so were their opponents.
Then, Las Vegas got destroyed in Week 7 by the Kansas City Chiefs, then in Week 11 by the Dallas Cowboys, then in Week 12 by the Cleveland Browns, then in Week 13 by the Chargers, then in Week 14 by the Denver Broncos, then in Week 15 by the Philadelphia Eagles. And then again on Sunday.
Is that repetitive enough? Do we really need any more evidence than that? While the Raiders have endured some injury attrition this season, it pales in comparison to others around the league. Good teams have enough depth or are well-coached enough to circumvent injury issues.
RELATED: Raiders' 'ideal head coach' for 2026 would be a home-run hire
Having key injuries or ailments should be nothing new for Carroll, who is in his 19th season as an NFL head coach. If he can't figure out how to at least be competitive against the worst teams in the league, regardless of the team's injury status, then he has no business being in charge in Las Vegas.
Sunday's game was dubbed "The Tank Bowl," and others were referring to it as a preseason game, yet Carroll couldn't even find a way to compete, which is his entire mantra. It is what he stands on and what he was supposed to bring to the Raiders. But he hasn't been anywhere close.
No matter who is on the field for the Silver and Black, this team is destined to get blown out if Carroll is coaching. He's been the head man for 16 games, and Las Vegas has lost by double-digits on nine occasions, and if not for a last-second field goal in Week 14, that number would be 10.
Carroll clearly doesn't have the answers, as he'll have a 3-14 record this season, at best, and a maximum of seven games that the team has been competitive in. If they can't even come close to the second-worst team in the NFL, no matter the circumstances, that should be all the evidence Davis needs to fire him.