Pete Carroll faces job uncertainty as Raiders endure 2-12 season

HENDERSON, Nev. — Now the focus is on Pete Carroll.

It's a familiar situation for the Raiders. Too familiar, in fact.

If owner Mark Davis makes a change, next year will be the fourth in a row Las Vegas will go into a season with a new coach.

That idea alone might keep Davis from making a move just yet in order to create some sort of stability, but there are reasons why Carroll is being questioned about his job status. The Raiders are 2-12 and have lost eight consecutive games and 12 of 13.

When asked Monday if he was coaching for his job, Carroll said: "I don't feel like that at all, I really don't. I'm well beyond that.''

He even said he would be willing to oversee a rebuilding project.

''Well, it's looking like that's what's necessary," Carroll said. "We need to keep working to get better, and that's in all areas, all aspects of what we're doing. I came in here thinking that we were going to turn it right away. I really did and anticipated doing that, and that's not what's taking place, unfortunately.''

The Raiders also will have the second-most salary cap space, according to overthecap.com, at more than $106 million to use in free agency. So there is an opportunity to remake the roster, whether it's under Carroll or another coach.

Carroll, who won championships in college at Southern California and in the NFL at Seattle, has three games left to make a case to management that he is the right person.

Until then, the speculation about his future won't go away.

''We're all frustrated," Carroll said. "We hate what's going on, and there isn't anybody in here that doesn't want to do something better than we're showing right now. Nobody's feeling that more than I am. But sometimes you feel like you're the only one feeling it, so we'll try to get through that together.

"It just hasn't worked out the way we anticipated.''

The Raiders didn't enter the season hoping for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, but here they are currently No. 2 behind the New York Giants. Getting the first or second selection is probably the same thing for the Raiders because the Giants appear to have their franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart. Getting a shot to draft Mendoza or Dante Moore would infuse some much-needed energy into the organization and its long-suffering fan base.

What needs help

Las Vegas, for the second week in a row, couldn't get its defense off the field. Denver had the ball for 39:03 the week before, and in Sunday's 31-0 loss at Philadelphia, the Eagles retained possession for 39:25. Those two opponents combined to convert 17 of 25 third-down situations.

Stock up

Devin White has proven this season that his NFL career is far from over. The 27-year-old linebacker had another strong performance with 16 tackles, including two for loss, against the Eagles. His 149 tackles this season are a career high, and his 10 tackles for loss are second only to the 15 he recorded in 2020 with Tampa Bay.

The offense, which has been at or near the bottom in several metrics, actually is regressing. The Raiders' 75 yards against the Eagles was the league's lowest since Arizona gained 58 against Cleveland on Nov. 5, 2023. It's the second-lowest total in Raiders history; they had 58 yards against the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 22, 1961. Las Vegas is the first team in 33 years to gain less than 100 yards twice in the same season.

Injuries

QB Geno Smith (shoulder and back) could return this week. Carroll said he would have a better idea Wednesday. ... T Kolton Miller (ankle) will practice again this week, but whether he plays Sunday at Houston is yet to be decided.

Key number

434-434-6 — That's the Raiders' record since the 1970 merger, the first time they have been .500 or worse since starting 2-2-1 in that initial season.

The Raiders visit the Texans on Sunday.

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