The Las Vegas Raiders exited Week 1 with a hard-fought road win over the New England Patriots, one ignited by the fiery actions of their soon-to-be 74-year-old head coach.
On the Saturday night before their season opener on Sept. 7, Pete Carroll used the stage of his first pregame meeting with the Raiders to kick through a whiteboard in dramatic fashion, leading to pandemonium in the room in a moment those present won’t soon forget. With the whiteboard obliterated, the end result on Sunday was a 20-13 victory over the Patriots.
“On the Saturday night before their season opener on Sept. 7, Pete Carroll used the stage of his first pregame meeting with the Raiders to kick through a whiteboard in dramatic fashion, leading to pandemonium in the room in a moment those present won’t soon forget,” Ian Rapoport reported for NFL.com. “With the whiteboard obliterated, the end result on Sunday was a 20-13 victory over the Patriots.”
A WWE-Style Spectacle
Support Our LA Firefighters In Style
According to one source, Carroll came off like a WWE wrestler cutting a promo, striding in from the back of the room as if his theme music was blaring. He took his time, letting tension build before harping on the need to compete — especially for the former Patriots on the roster.
Then came the crescendo. Symbolically telling his players to “kick in the door,” Carroll kicked the whiteboard, destroying it.
The room went wild. “That’s just Pete,” one person in the room said. “That’s how he turns the culture around.” Another added, “He just knows how to reach guys. This is why he’s who he is.”
Culture Shock in Las Vegas
A year after stepping down from the Seattle Seahawks, Carroll’s return to the NFL shocked many. Now tasked with revitalizing the Raiders, he has wasted no time setting a tone. “We are going to win a bunch of games,” Carroll said during training camp in July. “I mean, what are my expectations? We are going to win a bunch, and I don’t care who hears that.”
His Week 1 theatrics backed up the message. The Raiders fought through adversity in Foxborough, their defense frustrating rookie quarterback Drake Maye and holding off multiple comeback attempts.
Geno Smith’s Solid Start, Jeanty’s Growing Pains
The offseason brought sweeping changes to align the roster with Carroll’s vision. Las Vegas traded for former Seahawks quarterback — and Carroll protégé — Geno Smith, while also drafting Boise State star Ashton Jeanty.
Smith delivered in his Raiders debut, completing 70.6% of his passes for 362 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Jeanty’s transition proved rockier, totaling just 38 yards on 19 carries. Still, both are expected to play central roles as Carroll reshapes the offense.
The Harbaugh Factor
Next up, the Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night — with Carroll squaring off against an old nemesis in Jim Harbaugh. The two share a storied rivalry, from Harbaugh’s Stanford upsetting Carroll’s USC in 2009 to Carroll’s Seahawks outlasting Harbaugh’s 49ers in the 2014 NFC Championship Game.
Asked recently if he has fond memories of those clashes, Carroll quipped: “I have no fond memories, I’m not going to go there. There’s great games, they’ve been great games. That’s all.”
Adding intrigue, Monday’s matchup also falls on Carroll’s 74th birthday. If history is any guide, the pregame meeting could be just as entertaining as the game itself.
The Chargers are coming off a statement win over the Kansas City Chiefs — their first since 2021 — setting the stage for an early AFC West showdown. Whether Carroll breaks out more WWE-style theatrics or opts for a different motivational tactic, one thing is certain: he has already set a high bar for his new era in Las Vegas.