
Vegas Has a Coach, Now Can They Fix the Next Problem?
The search for a new coach to lead the silver and black has come to an end as the Las Vegas Raiders announced soon to be 74-year-old Pete Carroll as the next man up.
Carroll, fresh off a year break as a head coach, will hope to pick up where he left off in Seattle in which he tallied 137 career wins, a Super Bowl title and two NFC championships.
Carroll brings the big name alongside an impressive resume of career accomplishments, something not unique to new Vegas coaches.
For example, Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniel’s both came with their reasons for hope and optimism in the name of super bowl trophies, only to crash out in Sin City.
When the those “coaching pedigree” types didn’t work out, Vegas turned to a former player type of coach hoping to capture those Dan Campbell vibes in Detroit.
Interim head coach turned lead man, Antonio Pierce, made it to the end of the season this year before Vegas decided that 4-13 wasn’t going to cut it, letting Pierce go with a 9-17 record in a year and a half.
So where does that get Tom Brady, Mark Davis and company?
Right back to the big name coach with past accomplishments.
By no means is It a bad move, it has Raider nation feeling some optimism and rightfully so bringing in a proven winner, but the question lingers in every black hole member’s mind: “Will this end the coaching carousel from hell?”
Vegas will be on their 5th coach in 5 years and is notorious for having to pay Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniel's and now Antonio Pierce to NOT coach.
As a team who has qualified for the postseason only two times since 2002 (their last playoff victory) the mad dash for consistency has resulted in no such thing.
Will Carroll change that?
History and Stats would tell you consistency is a byproduct of the 19 year Head Coach.
After all, spending 14 years with a single franchise isn’t easy to do, not to mention double digit winning seasons in 8 of those and a winning record in 11.
Yet with all the damage done to Raiders fans, they will believe it when they see it.
If Carroll is going to be successful it starts at one place and one place alone.
It should shock no one to know that the Raiders success will lean heavily on the quarterback spot.
Just like coaches, the Raiders have a troubled past of inconsistent quarterback play that has ranged from above average to just plain atrocious.
Current New Orleans Saint, Derek Carr, one of the most polarizing players of the modern NFL, is the teams franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns while legitimately playing the best football Raiders fans have seen at the Quarterback position since Ken Stabler was under center in the 70’s.
That isn’t to put down Carr or ignore players like Jim Plunkett and Rich Gannon, but consistent quarterback play rarely shines through for the Raiders, in Oakland or Las Vegas.
And when that consistent factor does arrive, it’s never elevated to levels that other franchise’s quarterbacks seem to hit.
Pete Carroll spent the bulk of his time in Seattle with Russell Wilson, prime Russell Wilson that is.
Like, 8-time Pro Bowler, All-Pro Russell Wilson.
If the Black Hole see’s a Gardner Minshew, Jimmy Garoppolo, Desmond Ridder or Brian Hoyer caliber player announced as the starter come the first home game at Allegiant Stadium this next year, any hope and excitement garnered by acquiring Pete will evaporate in the Nevada sun.
Outside of Derek Carr led Raider team’s, the silver and black haven’t had a season since 2002 where a quarterback has started every game on the season.
That means in 22 years, the Raiders have had multiple quarterbacks start games 16 of those seasons.
7 of those seasons have seen at least three new Raiders starting quarterbacks under center as the season progresses.
Outside of some solid years with Carr the Raiders have seen the revolving door at the quarterback spot change names but never status.
From Jason Campbell, Daunte Culpepper, Matt McGloin and Charlie Frye to Aidan O’Connell, Desmond Ridder and Jarrett Stidham, the more things change the more they stay the same.
If Vegas wants to shed the trope of come and go coaches, it starts with their reality of come and go quarterbacks.
I don’t know the direction the team should go and I’m not sure there is an easy answer.
Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, trading up to take a chance on Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, trying to reunite Carroll with Russel Wilson, all could be on the table.
I do know however that if the Raiders continue a franchise tradition of rolling out career journeymen masquerading as potential franchise quarterbacks, Carroll's tenure will likely end up like those before him, a little wealthier but no more successful than they were when they landed in Sin City.