Pete Carroll Stands Tall Amidst Raiders' Rocky Start

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders lost a nail-biter to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, falling to 1-3 for the second time in three seasons. Las Vegas' offseason appeared to be productive, but so far, the Raiders are still working through the early growing pains of a new coaching staff.

Las Vegas' early-season issues have resulted in a three-game losing streak that they must put an end to before it spirals out of control, similar to last season. Las Vegas faces a challenging stretch of games over the next four weeks.

Even At 1-3, There Are Positives

There is no way to make a 1-3 record better than what it is. The Raiders made enough changes during the offseason to reasonably expect more, yet the reality of the National Football League is that things rarely go as planned. This is especially true for the Raiders over the past two seasons.

The Raiders are in the early stages of what everyone involved knew would be a turnaround that took time. Still, the Raiders have a few things to be excited about moving forward. Las Vegas lost the game, but showed development in areas such as their blocking and their ground game

Following the Raiders' loss to the Bears, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll credited the Raiders' defense with an outstanding effort against Chicago. Las Vegas' defense continued to play well despite continually facing challenging situation following Geno Smith's multiple touchdowns.

The Bears possessed the ball for nearly six more games than the Raiders, proof of the Raiders' woes on offense. Las Vegas' offense played better than they had over the previous two games, but the Smith's turnovers put Las Vegas' defense behind the eight-ball.

"Heck yeah. Our defense undertook about as much duress as you can in the four games of this season, and the leadership and the mentality and Patrick's [Graham] job with these guys and the coaches to keep those guys on that kind of an edge throughout, regardless of this situation, is incredibly valuable and will continue to be a valuable aspect of our team,” Carroll said.

“And they know. They have that feeling. They're not worried about whatever the tough situation is. They're okay about it, and we've had way more than we need to work at that stuff."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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